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The National People's Congress represents the highest level of
state power.
The State Council represents the highest level of state
administration. The Supreme People's Court is the highest level of
the judiciary. The Supreme People's Procuratorate is the highest
organ of supervision by the state of such matters as corruption,
citizens' rights, the judicial process, criminal investigation, the
prisons and so on.
The State Council, the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme
People's Procuratorate are all created by, are responsible to and
report to the National People's Congress.
To
summarize the relationships, the NPC makes the key decisions, which
are then put into effect by executive bodies under the overall
supervision of the NPC.
The NPC has far-reaching powers that go way beyond those of other
state bodies. It has powers to:
- supervise the enforcement of the Constitution;
- enact and amend the basic laws of the country;
- decide the composition of the NPC Standing Committee;
- elect and dismiss the President and Vice President of the
state;
- decide the composition of the State Council;
- decide the composition of the Central Military Commission;
- elect and dismiss the President of the Supreme People's
Court;
- elect and dismiss the Procurator-General of the Supreme
People's Procuratorate;
- decide major issues of state;
- supervise the organs of state.
The President and Vice President of the People's Republic of China
are elected by the National People's Congress. Like members of the
NPC itself they serve for a term of five years and may not serve
for more than two consecutive terms.
The President of the People's Republic of China proceeds in
accordance with the decisions of the NPC and its Standing
Committee, which confer on him the executive authority to:
- appoint or remove the Premier, Vice Premiers, State Councilors,
Ministers in charge of ministries and commissions, the
Auditor-General and Secretary-General of the State Council;
- confer state medals and honorary titles;
- issues orders granting a special pardon;
- proclaim martial law or a state of war and issue mobilization
orders.
The President receives foreign diplomatic representatives on behalf
of the People's Republic of China. Acting in pursuance of the
decisions of the NPC Standing Committee, the President appoints or
recalls Ambassadors, ratifies or cancels treaties and other state
agreements.
The Central People's Government of the People's Republic of China,
more usually known as the State Council, is the top executive body
and is responsible for state administration.
The State Council is composed of the Premier, Vice Premiers, State
Councilors, Ministers in charge of ministries and commissions, the
Auditor-General and the Secretary-General. It is under the
leadership of the Premier.
The State Council is responsible to and reports to the National
People's Congress or to its Standing Committee when the NPC itself
is not in session. The term of office for service on the State
Council is the same as that for the NPC and the Premier,
Vice-Premiers and State Councilors can serve no more than two
consecutive terms.
The Central Military Commission heads the nation's armed forces. It
is led by a Chair supported by Vice-Chairs together with other
commission members. All serve terms of office following the NPC
pattern. The Chair of the Central Military Commission is
responsible to the National People's Congress and its Standing
Committee.
The people's courts are the judicial organs of the state. The
Supreme People's Court, the highest state judicial organ, is
responsible to and reports to the NPC and its Standing Committee.
The President of the Supreme People's Court serves a term of five
years with no more than two consecutive terms.
The People's Procuratorates are the state organs of legal
supervision. The Supreme People's Procuratorate, the highest state
organ of legal supervision, is responsible to and reports to the
NPC and its Standing Committee. The Procurator-General of the
Supreme People's Procuratorate serves a term of five years with no
more than two consecutive terms.
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