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The 'Politburo Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China' () is a committee whose membership varies between 5 and 9 and includes the top leadership of the Communist Party of China. The inner workings of the PSC are not well known, although it is believed that decisions of the PSC are made by consensus. Formally the membership of the Committee is approved by the Central Committee. In practice, the membership of the PSC appears to be the result of negotiations among the top leadership of the Communist Party.

Contents

History

Current members

Historical makeup of the PSC

See also

History

Although the PSC has existed since the beginning of the People's Republic of China, the actual power wielded by the PSC has varied widely from period to period. During the Cultural Revolution, the PSC and the Communist Party of China were essentially powerless with actual power being in the Revolutionary Committees set up by Mao Zedong. The later years of the Cultural Revolution was dominated by internal chaos, and following Mao's death in October 1976, all but two PSC members remained on their official duties; namely, Ye Jianying and Hua Guofeng.
After taking power in 1978, one of the goals of Deng Xiaoping was to strengthen the power of the party, a goal which he ironically undermined in 1989 when he ordered the military to intervene in the Tiananmen Protests of 1989 against the wishes of a majority of the PSC, and in which the party subsequently ousted a majority of the PSC.
Although Jiang Zemin stepped down from this powerful committee to make way for a younger fourth generation of leadership led by Hu Jintao, Jiang may continue to wield significant influence. Five or six out of the nine new members of the Standing Committee, Wu Bangguo, Jia Qinglin, Zeng Qinghong, Li Changchun and sometimes Wu Guanzheng are Jiang protégés. The 22-member Politburo is elected by the Party's central committee. At the 2002 16th Party Congress, the Standing Committee was expanded to include nine members. The PSC has always included an odd number of members to avoid deadlocks. For speculations about the incoming PSC members, see Generations of Chinese leadership.

Current members

The current members of the 16th PSC are (as of 2007):

★ Hu Jintao - President of the People's Republic of China, General Secretary of the CPC, Chairman of the Central Military Commission.

★ Wu Bangguo - Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress

★ Wen Jiabao - Premier of the State Council of the People's Republic of China

★ Jia Qinglin - Chairman of the People's Political Consultative Conference

★ Zeng Qinghong - Vice-President of the People's Republic of China

★ ''6th Position vacant'' since Huang Ju, Vice-Premier, died in June 2007

★ Wu Guanzheng - Secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection

★ Li Changchun - no other positions held, known to many as the propaganda chief

★ Luo Gan - State Councilor, Political and Legislative Affairs Committee secretary
Interestingly, all eight current members are university trained engineers.

Historical makeup of the PSC

15th PSC (1997 - 2002)

★ Jiang Zemin (also General Secretary, Chinese Communist Party; President, People's Republic of China; Chairman, Central Military Commission)

★ Li Peng (also Chairman, Standing Committee of the National People's Congress)

★ Zhu Rongji (also Premier of the State Council)

★ Li Ruihuan (also Chairman, Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference)

★ Hu Jintao (also Vice President, People's Republic of China; Vice Chairman, Central Military Commission)

★ Wei Jianxing (also Secretary, Central Disciplinary Inspection Commission)

★ Li Lanqing (also Executive Vice Premier)
14th PSC (1992 - 1997)

★ Jiang Zemin

★ Li Peng

★ Qiao Shi

★ Li Ruihuan

★ Zhu Rongji

★ Liu Huaqing

★ Hu Jintao
13th PSC (1987 - 1992)

★ Li Peng

★ Hu Qili

★ Qiao Shi

★ Yao Yilin

★ Zhao Ziyang
12th PSC (1982 - 1987)

★ Deng Xiaoping

★ Chen Yun

★ Hu Yaobang

★ Li Xiannian

★ Ye Jianying

★ Zhao Ziyang
11th PSC (1977 - 1982)

★ Deng Xiaoping

★ Hua Guofeng

★ Li Xiannian

★ Wang Dongxing

★ Ye Jianying
10th PSC (1973 - 1977)

★ Mao Zedong (died in office, September 1976)

★ Zhou Enlai (died in office, January 1976)

★ Wang Hongwen (membership suspended for investigation, October 1976)

★ Zhu De (died in office, July 1976)

★ Ye Jianying

★ Dong Biwu (died in office, April 1975)

★ Kang Sheng (died in office, December 1975)

★ Li Desheng (resigned)

★ Zhang Chunqiao (membership suspended for investigation, October 1976)



★ Deng Xiaoping (elected January 1975, membership suspended October 1976)

★ Hua Guofeng (elected April 1976)
9th PSC (1969 - 1973)

★ Mao Zedong

★ Zhou Enlai

★ Chen Boda

★ Kang Sheng

★ Lin Biao
8th PSC (1956 - 1969)

★ Mao Zedong

★ Zhou Enlai

★ Chen Yun

★ Deng Xiaoping

★ Lin Biao

★ Liu Shaoqi

★ Zhu De
7th "De facto" PSC (pre 1956) Often known as the "Big Five". Note: PSC originally termed the Party "Secretariat"

★ Mao Zedong

★ Zhou Enlai

★ Chen Yun (elevated in 1950 following Ren Bishi's death)

★ Liu Shaoqi

★ Zhu De

See also

★ Politics of the People's Republic of China

★ Political position ranking of the People's Republic of China