All the presidents of China in order. President of China. how old is the president of china

According to the Constitution of the People's Republic of China, the head of state is the President of the People's Republic of China. During the years of the "cultural revolution", this position was abolished until the adoption of the Constitution of 1982.

The re-establishment of the post of Chairman of the PRC was due, on the one hand, to the need to strengthen the entire state system in the country, to improve the state structure, and on the other hand, to ensure proper representation of China in international relations. In addition, this is in line with national customs and traditions in the field of public administration. Traditionally, the position of the President of the People's Republic of China is held by the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China.

constitutional formula

Article 79 The Chairman and Vice Chairman of the People's Republic of China are elected by the National People's Congress. Any citizen of the People's Republic of China who has the right to vote and has reached the age of 45 may be elected Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the People's Republic of China. The term of office of the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the People's Republic of China is equal to the term of office of the National People's Congress, but they cannot hold their posts for more than two consecutive terms.

In terms of his political and legal status, the President of the People's Republic of China is one of the key figures in the state, given that this position is currently occupied by the General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, Jiang Zemin. At the same time, the abolition of a number of former important powers of the President of the PRC and the limitation of his tenure in office testify to the desire of Chinese legislators to prevent excessive concentration of power in the hands of one person and thereby create real obstacles to the establishment of a regime of personal power.

The Constitution entrusts the President of the People's Republic of China with the exercise of part of the powers of the collegiate head of state, which he exercises in full jointly with the Standing Committee of the NPC. The powers of the President of the People's Republic of China can be divided into two parts:

  • - in the exercise of the sole presidency (acceptance of foreign diplomatic representatives, implementation of representative functions);
  • - on the basis of decisions of the NPC and the Standing Committee of the NPC (publication of laws, appointment and removal of the highest officials of the state: the prime minister, deputy prime ministers and members of the State Council, ministers, etc.; awarding state awards, conferring honorary titles; sending and recalling diplomatic representatives PRC; ratification and denunciation of international treaties of the PRC, publication of a number of decrees of the Standing Committee of the NPC - on pardon, imposition of martial law, mobilization, as well as the declaration of a state of war).

The main acts adopted by the President of the People's Republic of China actually formalize the decisions of the NPC and its Standing Committee. Authorization procedure conflict situation when the President of the People's Republic of China refuses to sign this or that act, is not provided for by the legislation.

constitutional formula

Article 80 The President of the People's Republic of China, following the decisions of the National People's Congress and its Standing Committee, shall publish legislative acts appoints or dismisses the premier, vice premiers, members of the State Council, ministers at the head of ministries and committees, the Auditor General and Secretary General of the State Council, awards state awards and honorary titles; issues clemency decrees; declares martial law and issues mobilization orders.

Article 81 The President of the People's Republic of China, on behalf of the People's Republic of China, receives foreign diplomatic representatives and, in carrying out the decisions of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, appoints or recalls plenipotentiaries abroad, ratifies or terminates treaties or important agreements concluded with foreign countries.

Article 82 The Vice-President of the People's Republic of China assists the President in his work. The Vice-President of the People's Republic of China may, on behalf of the President of the People's Republic of China, exercise part of his functions and powers.

Article 83 The Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the People's Republic of China shall perform their functions and powers until the office is assumed by the new Chairman and Vice-Chairman elected by the next convocation of the National People's Congress.

Article 84 If the office of the President of the People's Republic of China becomes vacant, it shall be transferred to the Vice-President of the People's Republic of China. In the event that the position of Vice Chairman of the People's Republic of China becomes vacant, the National People's Congress elects a new Vice Chairman to fill the vacancy. In the event that the offices of the Chairman and Vice Chairman of the People's Republic of China become vacant, the National People's Congress shall elect a new Chairman and a new Vice Chairman. Until elections are held, the office of President of the People's Republic of China is temporarily held by the Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of China.

The head of state is the chairman of the People's Republic of China, as they always write in the official chronicle in Russian. But not everything is so simple: it turns out that the traditional title of this position in Chinese is translated into Western languages ​​(for example, English) as the President of the PRC. So the Chinese decided in 1982.

First head of China

At the beginning of the twentieth century, after the defeat in the war with Japan, there was a significant weakening of the central power of the Qing Empire. In 1911, the Republic of China was founded, which included a large part of mainland China, the island of Taiwan and Mongolia. The main contender for the presidency was the first minister of the Qing Empire. However, as a result of intrigues, Sun Yat-sen, the founder of the Kuomintang party, one of the most revered politicians in China, was elected the first president of China.

After the defeat of the Kuomintang in the Civil War, the Republic of China managed to defend only the island of Taiwan. And on the territory of mainland China, the People's Republic of China was founded. The actual first president of the PRC was Mao Zedong, then his position was called the Chairman of the Central People's Government of the PRC. In 1954, with the adoption of the PRC constitution, the position of Chairman was established, which Mao took.

First President

In 1982, the country adopted new edition Constitution of the People's Republic of China, where the position of the President of the People's Republic of China was restored. For the previous seven years, the head of state was the chairman of the Standing Committee. For the first time, the position of formal head of state, which was translated into all languages ​​(including Russian) English language began to be translated as president (president).

So Li Xiannian, who held this post from 1983 to 1988, can also be considered the first official president of the PRC. He was one of the "Eight Immortal CPCs" - a group of the country's most influential top leaders of the older generation, who actually decided all issues of the country's political and economic life in the 80s and 90s of the last century.

Of course, for quite a long period, the actual head of state and party was the Chairman of the Central Military Council of the CPC Central Committee. Moreover, during these years, the position was held by the leader of China from the 70s to the 90s.

Tiananmen Time

The next formal president of the PRC (chairman) was Yang Shangkun, who was also one of the "eight immortal high-ranking officials." He served as President of the People's Republic of China from 1988 to 1993. The decline of his career is associated with the suppression of student protests on Tiananmen Square, when he supported the tough position of Deng Xiaoping. In the early 1990s, Goths was removed from his post as a result of a conflict with the new head of state (Chairman of the Military Council of the CPC Central Committee) Jiang Zemin. who soon took over the vacant post. Deng Xiaoping forced this resignation, fearing the rise of Yang Shangkun, who was very popular in the army.

Yang became the last President of the People's Republic of China, who actually had the powers of the Vice President of the People's Republic of China. All subsequent leaders of China simultaneously occupied the two highest posts of the state.

Continued market reforms

He took over as President of the People's Republic of China in 1993. At first, he was seen as a transitional figure. However, he soon strengthened his position in the army, government and party. Experts noted that he occupied almost all party and military posts. All key issues of international and domestic life were resolved only with his direct participation.

Zemin continued the economic reforms initiated by Deng Xiaoping. Under him, the country became the seventh in the world in terms of GDP. China has made significant efforts to strengthen its influence in the Asia-Pacific region. And, perhaps, the most significant achievement of the President of the PRC was the introduction of changes in the party program. He succeeded in equalizing the political rights of the intelligentsia with the workers and peasants and opened the way to the party for Chinese businessmen.

Towards Socialism with Chinese Characteristics

The next leader of China was Hu Jintao, who served as chairman of the PRC for ten years (2003-2013). He became the youngest Chinese leader since Mao Zedong. The new president of the People's Republic of China continued the policy of broad economic liberalization, which was combined with strict party control and the suppression of any infringement on the role of the Communist Party.

The main efforts were aimed at strengthening China's status as an economic superpower. In 2008, Hu was re-elected for a second term, with Xi Jinping as his deputy and intended successor. In 2011, the country overtook Japan in terms of GDP, becoming the second most powerful country in the world. Foreign policy remained moderate, China tried to stay equidistant from the US and the European Union.

present tense

In March 2013, Xi Jinping took office as President of the People's Republic of China. Many experts believe that he can be on a par with the great Chinese communists with absolute authority - Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping in terms of the degree of influence on the country. Comrade Xi's contribution to the theory and practice of the Communist Party was the idea of ​​building socialism with Chinese characteristics in a new historical era. The concept of the great revival of the Chinese nation, proposed by him, formed the basis of the current socio-economic course of the country.

Now the President of the People's Republic of China is directing significant efforts to fight corruption, strengthen party discipline and ensure the unity of all sections of the population around the CCP.

In practice, this means that China is moving from collegial to sole government, and from the concept of rotation of power to its conservation.

Deng Xiaoping's System: Market Economy and the Collective Emperor

After the horrors brought by the communist regime of the PRC Mao Zedong, the new leader of China, Deng Xiaoping, launched large-scale economic reforms in the 80s of the last century. The result of the liberalization of the economy was the revival of the business life of the country, the boom in foreign investment and - as a result - an unprecedented increase in GDP and the standard of living of people.

China has become the main industrial site of the planet, infrastructure, science and education are rapidly developing. Thus, in terms of the total length of high-quality highways, the Celestial Empire came second in the world after the United States, and a year ago the concept of "One Belt, One Road" was announced - probably the most ambitious infrastructure project in the history of mankind, designed to connect China with a system of high-speed transport corridors. with key countries in Europe, Asia and Africa.

Transport corridors of the One Belt, One Road megaproject

Remembering perfectly well what the usurpation of power by one person can lead to, Deng Xiaoping introduced a system of collegial management, in which all strategic decisions are made not by one head of state, but by the entire Politburo of the Communist Party of China, a kind of "collective emperor."

More importantly, the tenure of the head of the People's Republic of China - the highest official of the country and his deputy - is limited to two five-year terms. And the informal tradition provides for the rotation of the entire ruling elite during the specified period.

According to Deng Xiaoping, such a system was supposed to ensure, on the one hand, stability, and, on the other hand, competitiveness and dynamics of Chinese political life.

Designed by the patriarch of modern China, the system worked flawlessly for about three decades, until Xi Jinping, an ambitious new leader, took over the state in 2012.

Papa C

Immediately launching an unprecedented, even by Chinese standards, fight against corruption (in general, 1.3 million members of the Communist Party were punished for acts of corruption, including 35 members of the Central Committee), the new leader simultaneously defeated the internal party opposition and gained unprecedented popularity among ordinary people.

Thanks to his outstanding talent for apparatus struggle, he quickly monopolized all power, occupying all three key positions at once: the head of the People's Republic of China, the general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party and the commander-in-chief of the armed forces; and placed his people in all key state and party positions. Nationalist rhetoric and a massive overhaul of the military (the Chinese People's Liberation Army currently ranks second in overall strength to the US military) have given Xi Jinping the backing of the military.

The years of Xi Jinping's reign were marked by the reform and development of the Chinese military

In parallel, for several years now, what can be called the formation of a new personality cult has been going on in China: portraits of the new leader are hung everywhere, newspapers and books are full of quotes from him, and officials of any level, reporting on their achievements, certainly emphasize that successes became possible only thanks to the brilliant ideas "Papa Xi".

Last fall, the 19th Congress of the Communist Party of China was held, at which, contrary to tradition, there were no potential successors to Xi Jinping among the newly appointed members of the Politburo. It became completely clear to everyone: the national leader intends to remain in his post even after the end of the second term in 2023.

Therefore, the proposal voiced at the plenum of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China to abolish the restriction on the duration of office for the chairman of the PRC and his deputy did not come as a surprise. And on March 11, the country's parliament - the National People's Congress - almost unanimously approved the relevant changes to the PRC Constitution, effectively endowing "Papa Xi" with imperial powers.

The transition of the second in economic and military power of the state of the planet to one-man rule caused a flurry of criticism in local social networks Weibo and Weixin (Google, Facebook and Twitter are prohibited in China). In order to prevent any even indirect criticism, local censorship blocked the possibility of writing in the mentioned social networks and search engines the Chinese analogues of the words "shamelessness", "disagreement", "lifelong", "immortal", "immoral", "emigration", "personality cult". "and many others.

Also under the ban were the names of the cult dystopias "1984", "Animal Farm", "Brave New World", the film company "Disney" and "Winnie the Pooh" (Xi Jinping, according to many users, looks like a cartoon bear; social networks began to massively post pictures of Winnie clinging to a barrel of honey - apparently alluding to how the national leader clings to power).

In addition, the publication of the fictitious name Xi Zedong (a combination of the names Xi and Mao), and the real name of the Chinese commander Yuan Shikai (who at the beginning of the last century tried to restore the Chinese empire) were banned. The most absurd thing was the ban on the Latin letter "N" - probably as a hint that "Papa C" can now rule N times.

Reformer on the throne

Absolute power is needed by Xi Jinping not in itself, but as a means of implementing the ambitious changes declared by the leader.

The economic and political model of Deng Xiaoping, which worked perfectly in conditions of cheap labor, low social guarantees and demographic growth, does not yet meet the requirements of the time.

Accordingly, China requires significant reforms, which require maximum consolidation of power.

In particular, we are talking about the start of building a "New Era for China" announced at the autumn CPC Congress - the creation of a harmonious society of respectable citizens. To this end, it is planned to create a system of digital social rating - a system for evaluating citizens according to a variety of criteria, which has no analogues in the history of mankind.

The system provides for the assessment of each individual citizen according to various criteria: law-abidingness, integrity, political loyalty, labor discipline, etc. After that, citizens with a high rating will be able to receive considerable preferences when looking for a prestigious job, enrolling in universities, receiving medical care, obtaining a loan, etc. . And the life of citizens with a low rating - on the contrary, will turn into a nightmare.

It also provides for the formation of the State Supervisory Commission - a super agency that will exercise control over the ruling class - members of the Communist Party, officials and employees of state-owned companies. The corresponding clause has already been included in the Constitution of the country.

Apparently, Xi Jinping is trying to build a system that will mix the party legacy of communist China and the bureaucratic traditions of the Qing empire. The result should be a system where the principles of organization of the bureaucracy resemble modern China, but officials are as efficient and incorruptible as in Singapore.

The role of the controller of the honesty of the system will be performed not by civil society, independent media or the election mechanism (all these components of the Western world are absolutely alien to the Chinese mentality), but by the control superinstitution and the system of evaluating citizens.

Whether "Papa Xi" will be able to build a "new era" - time will tell. On the other hand, the risks of consolidation of power and (especially) its conservation are also considerable. History teaches that the absence of political competition and the irremovability of the ruling elites very often ends badly: existing problems are conserved, the country loses momentum and closes. The consequence of which is almost always regression and decline.

For thousands of years, two sides of the world - East and West - divided into two parts the huge Chinese state - the "celestial empire". Today the country is divided into two states, the Republic of China and communist China, only on an ideological basis. The once mighty eastern empire, which was under the rule of Chinese emperors, in the 20th century has two administrative and political centers and two governments, separated by the Taiwan Strait. The post of President of China is currently occupied by two persons who represent two different political regimes, each of which claims political rights to the entire territory of a vast country.

The emergence of a new type of government in China

Despite the fact that the 20th century brought many new things to international law, for some peoples these innovations turned out to be disastrous. The once mighty states with a long history have turned into an arena of fierce public and social confrontation. Thousand-year-old monarchies collapsed under the onslaught of new ideologies, giving way to new socio-political formations. In the new XX century, a wave of revolutionary transformations reached Asia. In this vast region, where political regimes, relying on despotism and autocracy, were considered unshakable, a period of bloody social upheavals began. The example of China in this regard can be considered indicative. A huge country with a population of half a billion people, against the backdrop of a protracted socio-political crisis, tried to try on the attributes of a new political system.

It should be noted that the transition from a monarchy to a republic in China differed significantly from traditional forms. The process was constantly affected by the geographical factor and the multinationality of the country. It turned out to be not so easy to change the political structure on a vast territory in one moment, to convey to the minds of the masses the need for fundamental transformations in the life of China's multinational civil society. The revolution in the "celestial" took place in specific conditions, relying on the Asian mentality. How it ended, we all know well. Today we are dealing with two Chinese states. For 70 years now, the Chinese Communists have been at the helm of mainland China, creating a socialist people's democratic society with an oriental bias. The other, smaller part of the country is a typical bourgeois capitalist society, where a free economy and democratic principles of state organization rule the show.

A characteristic feature of the Chinese experience is the fact that in both the first and second cases, the ruling political regimes managed to achieve tremendous success in the territory under their control. The People's Republic of China today has one of the most powerful economies in the world. In political terms, communist China is a fairly stable socio-political state entity. The Republic of China, also known as Taiwan, is one of the four "Asian tigers", demonstrating to the whole world an unprecedented rate of economic growth, political stability and pluralism. In this context, it is interesting to consider the status of state power in both parts of China. Both the communists and the capitalists managed to create a solid system of state administration, based on a powerful ideology, nationalism and the Asian mentality.

Retrospective of the state structure of the "celestial"

The monarchy in China had long roots dating back to ancient times. However, it was not a single and powerful centralized authority. Ancient China in political terms, it was a huge patchwork quilt, which was constantly redrawn to suit the political interests, ambitions and claims of large families and clans. Specific rulers by their actions constantly undermined and weakened the position of the central government, expanding their possessions and creating new states on the ruins of another empire.

The first major state formation in the territory of modern China is considered the empire of the Qin dynasty. Despite the short period of its existence, it was from this moment that the structure of the central government began to form in the country. The Qin dynasty was quickly replaced by another ruling elite, representing the Han clan. For four centuries, from 206 BC. to 220 AD, in China, a period of unification of peoples inhabiting a vast and vast territory begins.

The subsequent history of the country looks quite simple. The heyday of the Chinese state was replaced by periods of decline caused by the influence of internal and external political factors. As in medieval Europe, the “heavenly” experienced a period of long civil strife, when one dynasty was replaced by another. A huge country often became the object of external aggression, who tried not only to conquer densely populated territories, but also to establish their own power. The Chinese emperors, personifying divine rule, have always been hostages of the political situation in the country, they pursued their domestic and foreign policy, relying on the ruling elite. Only after the victory of the "red bandages" uprising in 1368 did the Chinese Ming dynasty come to power in the country.

Over the next 300 years, there was a strengthening of the power of the Chinese emperors, who built a system of state administration with the help of a huge bureaucracy. The power of the emperor was considered impeccable, and his decrees and orders had the force of a higher law. Despite the apparent strength of the ruling regime, the Ming dynasty collapsed under the onslaught of external enemies. Manchurian tribes invading from the north conquered the country, founding a new empire in 1636 with the ruling Qing dynasty. Under the Manchus, the emperor becomes an absolute monarch, ruling the state through six state councils. All important posts in the state were headed either by the Manchus or by ethnic Chinese who had passed through the sieve of the imperial system of government. The ruling regime becomes despotic and totalitarian, relying on the wealthy ruling elite and the military. The center of supreme power in the empire becomes the Closed City in Beijing - the residence of the Chinese emperors.

A powerful and developed system of state administration in the "under heaven" was undermined by a weak economy. In the middle of the XIX century, there was a serious backlog of the huge Asian empire from the countries of the West in terms of economic and political development. The leading Western states did not fail to take advantage of this, strengthening their political and economic influence in the weakening empire. The expansion of Western states, which essentially turned China into a colony, the economic backwardness of the country and the massive impoverishment of the people against the backdrop of the prosperity of the ruling elite, became the driving factors of the Chinese revolution. In the 20th century, the system of state administration of the empire could no longer independently control the situation. Mass popular unrest began in the country, new political forces and movements were gaining strength.

Chinese Revolution: Change of State Power

The Qing Empire lasted a little less than three centuries, collapsing in 1912. Despite the collapse of imperial rule in China, it is thanks to the last Qing Dynasty that modern China exists. AT last period the existence of the empire in the country, a number of important reforms were outlined, the purpose of which was the modernization of the armed forces and a new foreign policy. However, subsequent events that unfolded in the domestic political arena not only changed the ruling political regime, but also pushed China onto the path of a new civilizational path of development. The history of the "under heaven" ended on October 10, 1911 with the proclamation of the Republic of China.

During 1905-1909, the military-political caste and revolutionary organizations that have influence in different provinces of a huge country come to the fore in the state. Yuan Shikai, who managed to subjugate the north of the country in the conditions of civil confrontation, became a prominent representative of the army elite. The political movement in South China was led by Sun Yat-sen, leader of the Kuomintang Nationalist Party.

In mid-December 1911, a founding conference was held in Hankow, at which the question of the continued existence of the country was raised. The delegates, representing the reactionary North and the Republican South of the country, were given the following tasks:

  • achieve the abolition of the monarchy and the establishment of the Republic of China;
  • find compromise solutions in the policy of state-administrative management of the country;
  • establish public authorities.

Initially, Yuan Shikai single-handedly claimed the presidency of the Republic of China, but as a result of political intrigues, on December 29, 1911, Sun Yat-sen became the head of the Republic of China, who received the status of president with temporary powers. The powers of the first president of the Republic were of a formal nature, but from the first days Sun Yat-sen zealously set to work, trying to consolidate the fragmented political forces of the republican wing around the nationalist ideas of the Kuomintang. The provisional constitution of the Republic, adopted by the Nanking government on March 10, 1912, was the result of Sun Yat-sen's presidency. In accordance with the new Basic Law, China was declared a parliamentary Republic. In parallel with the constitutional reforms in northern China, Yuan Shikai continued to dismantle the monarchy, becoming the full President of the Republic of China on April 1, 1912.

The overthrow of the monarchy did not lead to the end of the political unrest in the vast state. With the coming to power of Yuan Shikai, head of the militaristic clique, China turned into an unstable political entity in which bourgeois democratic ideas, despotism and administrative-political anarchy coexisted simultaneously. It was at this stage that the country is trying to restore the monarchy. President Yuan Shikai, heading the state, decided to distance himself from the political forces of the republican wing. Having suppressed the rebellion of the Republicans in 1913, the second president set out to restore the empire. Remaining the president of the country, Yuan Shikai became the emperor of the new empire on March 22, 1915, which lasted only 3.5 months. The reign of the controversial politician ended in June 1916, leaving behind a fragmented state.

Presidency of the period of acute political struggle

After the death of Yuan Shikai, only the northern provinces of the country were de facto and de jure subordinate to the central government. Almost all of central China and the south of the country were under the rule of military rulers and nationalist political forces led by the Kuomintang. The entire subsequent period in the history of the Republic of China became the scene of a fierce political struggle, in which at first the supporters of Yuan Shikai and the Kuomintang confronted each other. After the main confrontation unfolded between the nationalists of the Kuomintang and the communists. The country plunged into the abyss of civil conflict for many years. Representing various political forces, Chinese presidents have changed with kaleidoscopic speed.

Starting from the summer of 1916 and until January 21, 1949, 17 people served as president of the country. Among this number, the most prominent in the history of China was Chiang Kai-shek, who led the country for the first time in October 1928. The leader of the Kuomintang became a major political figure in modern Chinese history. Despite the fact that Chiang Kai-shek managed to achieve some unification of a vast territory into a single state, internal civil strife and external aggression interfered with the stability of state power in the country. President Chiang Kai-shek was forced to fight the communists, who announced the creation of the Chinese Soviet Republic in 1931, and the Japanese army that invaded China.

The full-scale Sino-Japanese war, which began in 1937, temporarily reconciled the two political camps. Both Chiang Kai-shek and the Communists fought against the Japanese invaders at the same time. The defeat of militaristic Japan in World War II was the impetus for the beginning of a new stage of military-political confrontation in the "under heaven". The Chinese communists, who controlled large areas of North and Northeast China with the support of the Soviet Union, entered into a sharp military-political conflict with the US-supported regime of Chiang Kai-shek.

The Chinese Civil War ended in 1949 with the victory of the Communists, who forced the government of the Republic of China and its president to seek refuge on the island of Taiwan.

Two Chinas on the world map

Having finally taken control of mainland China, on October 1, 1949, the Communists proclaimed the creation of the People's Republic of China. At the same time, the political regime of the Republic of China, headed by President Chiang Kai-shek, continued to exist in Taiwan. International political law instead of one state received two state formations - the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China. The authorities of both countries declared their sovereignty over all of China, considering only their political regime as legitimate and legitimate. De jure in the international arena, China was represented by the republican government of Chiang Kai-shek. De facto communist China has become the main political subject of international law. Since 1970, the period of international recognition of the PRC began, which left the role of a provincial Chinese state entity to the Republic of China.

Island China: Presidents of the Republic of China

To date, only 23 states in the world continue to recognize the Republic of China as the legal and official successor of China. From 1950 to April 1975, Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek held the presidency in Taiwan (the unofficial name of the Republic of China).

In 1975, after the death of the leader of island China and the head of the Kuomintang, the presidents of Taiwan became:

  • the second president of Taiwan - Yan Jiagan, reigned 1975-1978;
  • Jiang Jingguo took over Taiwan on May 20, 1978, remaining president until 1988;
  • Li Tenghui, (1988-2000) - First President of the Republic of China, who was appointed in 1996 by direct popular vote;
  • Chen Shui-bian, (2000 -2008), who served two consecutive terms;
  • Ma Ying-jeou, who received the presidency on May 20, 2008 and held this position for two consecutive terms until 2016.

In May 2016, the next presidential election of the Republic of China took place, in which Ms. Tsai Ing-wen, the current president of the country, became the winner. The inauguration of the 7th President of the Republic of China took place within the walls of the Parliament. For the second time in Taiwan's history, a representative of the Progressive Democratic Party came to power, defeating a candidate from the Kuomintang in the elections. The powers and duties of the President of Taiwan are quite broad, but the head of state in his decisions and actions is fully based on the Government of the Republic and is highly dependent on the Parliament. The Presidential Palace, located in the capital of the island nation of Taipei, is the official residence of the head of state.

Communist China: leaders of the People's Republic of China

In contrast to island China, the communist regime on the mainland created a powerful state apparatus for governing the country, based on the complete dictatorship of the ruling party. Party leaders became the heads of the country, formally performing the functions and duties of the head of state.

Until 1954, a military-political regime operated in the territories occupied by the PLA troops. The main administrative functions were carried out by people's committees and the military elite. Formally, the main state was the leader of the Communists of China, Mao Zedong. The beginning of transformations in the system of public administration was laid by the Constitution of the People's Republic of China, adopted in 1954. In the same year, relying on the strong support of the Soviet Union, the informal leader of the country becomes the chairman of the People's Republic of China.

A significant period in the history of post-war China is associated with the personality of Mao Zedong. The communist ideology became the main factor in the existence of the political regime. For 20 years, mainland China was formally under the rule of Mao Zedong, who managed to create a strong state apparatus based on autocracy and partocracy. However, the policy of the "Three Red Banners" pursued by the communist leader turned out to be unsuccessful. As a result, already in April 1959, Mao Zedong was replaced by Liu Shaoqi as chairman of the country. The resignation in 1968 of Chinese President Liu Shaoqi marked the return of Mao Zedong to the political arena. The beginning of the cultural revolution, the reforms of the public administration system led to the abolition of the post of chairman of the PRC.

Until 1975, the post of Chairman of the People's Republic of China remained vacant. The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, headed by the chairman, had full power in the country. A cult of personality of the first chairman of the PRC was massively created in the country.

In 1978, the post of President of the People's Republic of China was restored. It was occupied by Ye Jianying for 5 years, from 1978 to 1983. The new Basic Law adopted in 1982 reintroduces the position of the President of the People's Republic of China as head of state. Over the next 35 years, 4 leaders were replaced as the head of communist China:

  • Li Xiannian, reigned 1983-1988;
  • Yang Shangkun served as chairman from April 1988 to March 1993;
  • Jiang Zemin was President of the People's Republic of China from March 27, 1993 to March 15, 2003;
  • Hu Jintao became head of state in 2003 and served as chairman until March 2013.

Today, the post of Chairman of the People's Republic of China is held by Xi Jinping, who was elected to this position on March 14, 2013. At the same time, the President of the People's Republic of China is the General Secretary Communist Party China.

Xi Jinping (习近平） - President of the People's Republic of China, "Big Daddy" of the Chinese people, whose name is always pronounced with respect and honor.Many people know only superficial facts about him, so we have prepared for you a biography of the life of the great Chinese leader.

Childhood and youth

Xi Jinping belongs to the representatives of the ancient Chinese people "Khan" - one of the most pure-blooded peoples in China.

He was born in Shaanxi province in 1953 in the family of one of the officials close to Mao Zedong. That is why many historians refer to him as the "party of princes" - the hereditary Chinese party leaders.

Until the age of 9, little Xi Jinping had a childhood that many of his peers dreamed of, but in 1962 everything suddenly changed dramatically. His father was charged with treason and exiled to Henan Province, where he was held under arrest until 1976. In 1969, the life of Xi Jinping himself was also affected by difficulties - he was sent to one of the poorest villages in China, Yanchuan, for "re-education", so that he would not learn anything "bad" from his father.

It was here that young Xi Jinping experienced some of the most difficult years of his life, years of unbearable physical labor and poverty. Si lived in a cave, slept on a thin blanket on bricks, ate not what he wanted, but what he had.

It was this period of his life that tempered the personality of the ruler of the PRC, shaped his convictions and set him on the path of the “red communist banner”. Thanks to 7 years of hard labor, the future President of China, Xi Jingping, later received the nickname "people's leader", because who, if not he could be closer to ordinary people China, which for centuries experienced food shortages and difficult living conditions.

In 1974, even though his father was still in prison, Xi Jinping was accepted into the Communist Party.

In 1975, thanks to his phenomenal mental abilities, Xi entered the most prestigious university in China - Tsinghua, the Faculty of Chemical Technology.

By the end of the university, his father is released from prison and quickly falls into the stream of political events in the country. In 1978, under the leadership of Deng Xiaoping, Xi's father became governor of Guangdong.

Xi Jinping's career

In 1982, Xi Jinping became Secretary of the Chinese Defense Minister, but soon he asked to be sent to work in the CPC Committee of Zhengding County, Hebei Province. Having shown good results as a manager there, Xi Jinping brought large revenues to the state treasury by increasing the tourist flow to the province.

In the next 10 years, Xi Jinping worked as vice mayor of Xiamen, secretary of the Ningde County CCP Committee of Fujian Province, and secretary of the Fuzhou City Committee of the CPC.

In 2000, Xi was elected governor of Fujian Province. Having established good economic relations with local businessmen, he was able to attract large investments in the development of the region, which did not go unnoticed in party circles.

In 2002, Xi Jinping joined the CPC Central Committee.In the same year, he was elected governor of Zhejiang Province.

It is impossible not to note the intolerance of Chinese leader Xi towards corruption, uncharacteristic of politicians. He has always been the face and prototype of the modern communist elite.

Family

The first wife of Chinese President Xi Jinping was the daughter of Chinese Ambassador to the UK Ke Hua, but having been married for about 20 years, their union broke up due to Ke Hua's desire to build his life outside of China. In 1987, the famous Chinese singer Peng Liyuan became the wife of the "President of China".

Xi Jinping and Peng Liyuan had a daughter in 1992. She is currently graduating from Harvard.

Hobbies

Chinese President Xi Jinping enjoys reading, tourism, and watching Hollywood movies in his spare time.

The Chinese leader's favorite sports are swimming, football and mountain hiking.

It can be noted that the Chinese really love their head of state and, in general, fully support his policy. We wish Papa Xi continued success in China's struggle for world domination!

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