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Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China
中国共产党中央委员会政治局

Information
General Secretary	Xi Jinping
Elected by	Central Committee
Responsible to	Central Committee
Seats	24
Meeting place
Huairen Hall, Zhongnanhai Beijing, China

Politics of China
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v t e

The Politburo of the Chinese Communist Party, officially the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, is the highest political body of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party.

Currently, the bureau is a group of 24 top officials who oversee the party and central government. The politburo is headed by the general secretary. Unlike politburos of other communist parties, power within the CCP Politburo is further centralized in the Politburo Standing Committee, a group of 7 individuals from among the larger Politburo.

The Politburo is elected by the Central Committee. In practice, however, scholars of Chinese elite politics believe that the Politburo is a self-perpetuating body, with new members of both the Politburo and its Standing Committee chosen through a series of deliberations by current Politburo members and retired Politburo Standing Committee members. The current and former Politburo members conduct a series of informal straw polls to determine the group's level of support for each new candidate's membership in the Politburo. The process for selecting the new Politburo begins with a closed door meeting by the incumbent Politburo Standing Committee in Beidaihe in the summer before the National Congress of the CCP convenes.

The power of the Politburo resides largely in the fact that its members generally simultaneously hold positions within the People's Republic of China state positions and with the control over personnel appointments that the Politburo and Secretariat have. In addition, some Politburo members hold powerful regional positions. How the Politburo works internally is unclear, but it appears that the full Politburo meets once a month and the standing committee meets weekly. This is believed to be much less frequent than meetings of the former Soviet Politburo. The agenda for the meetings is controlled by the CCP general secretary and decisions are made by consensus rather than by majority vote.

History

The Politburo was eclipsed by the Secretariat of the Chinese Communist Party in the early 1980s under Hu Yaobang, but has re-emerged as a dominant force after Hu's ousting in 1987.

Composition and selection

Since the 1990s, Politburo members concurrently held posts in the party apparatus, in state posts, and as regional party chiefs. Some are party secretaries of important provinces or municipalities. In addition, members serving in the military and security sectors have been limited to 3 posts. In contrast, most members in the 1980s had a military command background. In 2017, for the 19th Central Committee Politburo, aside from the heads of the four main institutional hierarchies—the CCP, the National People's Congress, the State Council and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, there were six members each holding posts in the party, the national government, the regional governments, and three in the military. The average age of the 2017 Politburo's members was 62, which was similar to those in recent decades. Before that, the Party under Deng Xiaoping deliberately encouraged turnover by imposing term limits and retirement ages.

In October 2017, at the First Plenary Session of the 19th CCP Central Committee, it was decided that all Politburo members shall make an annual written presentation to the Central Committee and the General Secretary. In March 2018, all Standing Committee members and members of the Politburo made their first written presentation to the Central Committee and General Secretary Xi Jinping.

Since the 17th National Congress, the official way of electing the Politburo was through a process called "democratic recommendation" (民主推荐) where the CCP conducted a straw poll of 200 candidates to the Politburo, which were factored into the final list of candidates presented at the National Congress of the CCP. However, this was abolished in the 19th National Congress under Xi, which denounced the "vote buying" and the "voting based on personal connections and favors" of this method, particularly in connection to politicians who fell after the anti-corruption campaign under Xi. The process was officially replaced with a method of "face-to-face interviews, investigation and study".

Cadre training

In 2001, the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party published the 2001-2005 National Plan for Cadre Training elevating the importance of cadre training for Chinese economic reform. The salaries of staff in party schools were brought in line with the salaries paid in regular Chinese universities. Teaching, research, and information technology was modernized to enable distance education throughout the party school system.

Modern cadre training focuses on quality and ability. Students are trained in ideological orthodoxy, submitting to Leninism and party discipline. The young cadre is trained in applying their knowledge creatively and independently, so as to deal flexibly with complex issues and accept continuous learning. The initiative for cadre training after 2002 was buttressed by the Central Party School, and the regional party schools, including the Party Schools in Shanghai and Shenzhen.

Functions

The Politburo and the Politburo Standing Committee are the top decision-making institutions for the CCP Central Committee. According to the Party Constitution, the party's Central Committee elects the Politburo during a plenary session. Members of the Politburo are deputy-national-level leaders or more.

The Politburo typically meets once a month. The Politburo holds regular study sessions which serve as an opportunity for CCP leadership to promote new policies. The CCP almost always releases a readout to summarize the outcomes of Politburo meetings and, since 2002, these sessions have been widely publicized. Frequently, they address foreign affairs. The General Secretary of the Central Committee is responsible for convening the meetings of the PSC and decides their agenda.

Current Politburo

The 20th Politburo was elected at the first plenary session of the 20th Central Committee in October 2022.

See also

• Collective leadership
  • Surname stroke order
• Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party
  • Politburo Standing Committee of the Chinese Communist Party
    • General Secretary
  • Central Secretariat
  • General Office
    • Central Security Bureau
      • Central Guard Unit

References

1. Wang, Jun (15 June 2013). "中央政治局如何开会". qikan.com. Archived from the original on 19 October 2017. Retrieved 18 October 2017.
2. Li, Cheng (2016). Chinese Politics in the Xi Jinping Era: Reassessing Collective Leadership. Brookings Institution. ISBN 9780815726937. Retrieved 18 October 2017.
3. Kang Lim, Benjamin (20 November 2017). "Exclusive: China's backroom powerbrokers block reform candidates - sources". Reuters. Retrieved 18 October 2017.
4. Miller, H. "Hu Jintao and the Party Politburo" (PDF). China Leadership Monitor. Hoover Institution. p. 5. Retrieved 15 October 2011.
5. Li, Cheng et al. (2008). China's Changing Political Landscape, Washington: Brookings Institution Press. ISBN 978-0-8157-5209-7.
6. ^ Miller, Alice. "The 19th Central Committee Politburo". China Leadership Monitor 55 (2018).
7. Li, David Daokui (2024). China's World View: Demystifying China to Prevent Global Conflict. New York, NY: W. W. Norton & Company. ISBN 978-0393292398.
8. "中共中央政治局召开会议 研究部署学习宣传贯彻党的十九大精神". Xinhua. 2017-10-27. Archived from the original on 2020-11-09. Retrieved 2019-02-28.
9. "中央政治局同志向党中央和习近平总书记述职". China Central Television. 2018-03-21. Archived from the original on 2020-11-09. Retrieved 2019-02-28.
10. "Raising the Curtain on China's 20th Party Congress: Mechanics, Rules, "Norms," and the Realities of Power". Asia Society. August 4, 2022. Retrieved 2022-08-28.
11. ^ Pieke, Frank N. (2009). The Good Communist: Elite Training and State Building in Today's China. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9781139482134.
12. ^ Zhao, Suisheng (2023). The Dragon Roars Back: Transformational Leaders and Dynamics of Chinese Foreign Policy. Stanford, California: Stanford University Press. p. 175. doi:10.1515/9781503634152. ISBN 978-1-5036-3088-8. OCLC 1331741429.
13. "Chapter III Central Organizations of the Party – Article 22". China Internet Information Center. Archived from the original on 18 October 2007. Retrieved 26 March 2013.
14. ^ "Decoding Chinese Politics: Party Center". Asia Society. Retrieved 11 October 2024.
15. Li, David Daokui (2024). China's World View: Demystifying China to Prevent Global Conflict. New York, NY: W. W. Norton & Company. ISBN 978-0393292398.

v t e Chinese Communist Party
Central Committee	Leader Chen Duxiu (1921–1927) Xiang Zhongfa (1928–1931) Bo Gu (1931–1935) Zhang Wentian (1935–1943) Mao Zedong (1943–1976) Hua Guofeng (1976–1981) Hu Yaobang (1981–1987) Zhao Ziyang (1987–1989) Jiang Zemin (1989–2002) Hu Jintao (2002–2012) Xi Jinping (2012–present) Decision-making bodies General Secretary Politburo (Standing Committee) Secretariat Central Military Commission Departments Organization Department Publicity Department United Front Work Department International Department Social Work Department Political and Legal Affairs Commission Directly administered General Office Office of the General Secretary Central Guard Bureau Central Guard Unit Secrecy Office Cryptography Office Central Archives Policy Research Office Commissions for co-ordination Auditing Comprehensively Deepening Reforms Comprehensively Law-Based Governance Financial Financial and Economic Affairs Foreign Affairs Cyberspace Affairs Office National Security Science and Technology Spiritual Civilization Institutional Organization Office Secrecy Office Dispatched institutions for co-ordination Working Committee of Central and State Organs Central Financial Work Commission Hong Kong Work Committee Macau Work Committee Office for Safeguarding National Security in Hong Kong Leading groups Cryptography Work Office Education Rural Work Inspection Work Military Reform Propaganda, Ideology and Culture Taiwan Office Hong Kong and Macau Office Others Central Party School Chinese Academy of Governance Institute of Party History and Literature People's Daily Qiushi Guangming Daily Executive Leadership Academies Pudong Yan'an Jinggangshan
National Congress	1st (1921) 2nd (1922) 3rd (1923) 4th (1925) 5th (1927) 6th (1928) 7th (1945) 8th (1956) 9th (1969) 10th (1973) 11th (1977) 12th (1982) 13th (1987) 14th (1992) 15th (1997) 16th (2002) 17th (2007) 18th (2012) 19th (2017) 20th (2022)
Leadership sittings	Elected by the Central Committee Politburo Standing Committee 4th: 1927 5th: 1927–1928 6th: 1928–1945 7th: 1945–1956 8th: 1956–1969 9th: 1969–1973 10th: 1973–1977 11th: 1977–1982 12th: 1982–1987 13th: 1987–1992 14th: 1992–1997 15th: 1997–2002 16th: 2002–2007 17th: 2007–2012 18th: 2012–2017 19th: 2017–2022 20th: 2022–2027 Politburo 3rd: 1923–1925 4th: 1925–1927 5th: 1927–1928 6th: 1928–1945 7th: 1945–1956 8th: 1956–1969 9th: 1969–1973 10th: 1973–1977 11th: 1977–1982 12th: 1982–1987 13th: 1987–1992 14th: 1992–1997 15th: 1997–2002 16th: 2002–2007 17th: 2007–2012 18th: 2012–2017 19th: 2017–2022 20th: 2022–2027 Military Commission 7th: 1945–1949 & 1954–1956 8th: 1956–1969 9th: 1969–1973 10th: 1973–1977 11th: 1977–1982 12th: 1982–1987 13th: 1987–1992 14th: 1992–1997 15th: 1997–2002 16th: 2002–2007 17th: 2007–2012 18th: 2012–2017 19th: 2017–2022 20th: 2022–2027 Approved by the Central Committee Secretariat 8th: 1956–1969 11th: 1980–1982 12th: 1982–1987 13th: 1987–1992 14th: 1992–1997 15th: 1997–2002 16th: 2002–2007 17th: 2007–2012 18th: 2012–2017 19th: 2017–2022 20th: 2022–2027 CCDI Standing Committee 7th 1949–1956 8th: 1956–1969 11th: 1978–1982 12th: 1982–1987 13th: 1987–1992 14th: 1992–1997 15th: 1997–2002 16th: 2002–2007 17th: 2007–2012 18th: 2012–2017 19th: 2017–2022 20th: 2022–2027 CCDI Secretary Zhu De (1949–55) Dong Biwu (1955–68) Chen Yun (1978–87) Qiao Shi (1987–92) Wei Jianxing (1992–2002) Wu Guanzheng (2002–07) He Guoqiang (2007–12) Wang Qishan (2012–17) Zhao Leji (2017–22) Li Xi (2022–) Others Deputy Secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection Secretary General of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection Elected by National Congress Central Committee 1st: 1921–1922 2nd: 1922–1923 3rd: 1923–1925 4th: 1925–1927 5th: 1927–1928 6th: 1928–1945 7th: 1945–1956 8th: 1956–1969 9th: 1969–1973 10th: 1973–1977 11th: 1977–1982 12th: 1982–1987 13th: 1987–1992 14th: 1992–1997 15th: 1997–2002 16th: 2002–2007 17th: 2007–2012 18th: 2012–2017 19th: 2017–2022 20th: 2022–2027 Discipline Inspection 5th: 1927–1928 6th: 1928–1933 & 1933–1945 7th: 1949–1955 & 1955–1956 8th: 1956–1969 11th: 1978–1982 12th: 1982–1987 13th: 1987–1992 14th: 1992–1997 15th: 1997–2022 16th: 2002–2007 17th: 2007–2012 18th: 2012–2017 19th: 2017–2022 20th: 2022–2027
Wider organisation	People's Liberation Army People's Armed Police Militia (China) Communist Youth League of China Young Pioneers of China United front (China) People's organization
Ideologies	Marxism–Leninism Mao Zedong Thought Socialism with Chinese characteristics Deng Xiaoping Theory Three Represents Scientific Outlook on Development Xi Jinping Thought
Groupings	Shanghai clique Tuanpai Tsinghua clique Eight Elders Crown Prince Party Fujian clique New Zhijiang Army Xishan Society Gang of Four 28 Bolsheviks
Related articles	Shuanggui Neoauthoritarianism List of campaigns of the Chinese Communist Party Longest-serving members of the Politburo Standing Committee Emblem of the Chinese Communist Party
Category

v t e Organizational structure of the Chinese Communist Party
National Congress Central Committee Central Commission for Discipline Inspection Secretary, deputy secretaries and Secretary General Standing Committee Central Military Commission General Secretary General Secretary Office Chairman and Vice Chairmen Politburo General Office (Central Guard Bureau) Departments: Organization, Publicity, United Front, International, Social Work, and Legal Affairs Research institutions: Central Party School, Institute of Party History and Literature, and Central Policy Research Office Politburo Standing Committee Secretariat Leading Small Groups Local Party branches Other commissions: Spiritual Civilization, Cyberspace Affairs Foreign Affairs, National Security, and Institutional Organization Party organizations within the People's Liberation Army CMC Political Work Department
See also Cadre system of the Chinese Communist Party

• Politburo of the Chinese Communist Party