A State Councillor of the People's Republic of China () serves as a senior vice leader within the State Council and shares responsibilities with the Vice Premiers in assisting the Premier in the administration and coordination of governmental affairs.
History The position was created during the May 1982 restructuring of the State Council, when eleven state councillors were appointed, ten of whom were vice premiers until then.
Role The state councillors are nominated by the premier, who are then approved by the National People's Congress and appointed by the president. Candidates for top positions including the state councillors are first approved first by the CCP's Politburo Standing Committee, and then by its Politburo, then approved in a special plenary session the Central Committee just before the NPC session for vote by the Congress, with the premier nominating the candidates during the NPC session.
State councillors are members of the executive meetings of the State Council, along with the premier, vice premiers, and the secretary-general. The state councilors selected once every five years and are limited to two terms. The state councillors are tasked with assisting the premier, as well as be entrusted by the premier to take charge of work in certain fields or take certain special tasks. State councillors can also represent the State Council on foreign visits.
State councillors often accompany China's higher dignitaries on trips abroad, as was the case with State Councillor Tang Jiaxuan from 2003 to 2008, and Dai Bingguo from 2008 to 2013. Dai also became China's representative at the 2009 G8 summit in Italy when President Hu Jintao decided to cut short his attendance to return to China in order to deal with the July 2009 Ürümqi riots.
List of state councillors 5th State Council (1982–1983) The position was created during the May 1982 restructuring of the State Council. Eleven state councillors were appointed, ten of whom were vice premiers until then, the only exception being Zhang Jingfu. Yu Qiuli Geng Biao Fang Yi Gu Mu Kang Shi'en Chen Muhua Bo Yibo Ji Pengfei Huang Hua Zhang Jingfu Zhang Aiping
6th State Council (1983–1988) Fang Yi Gu Mu Kang Shi'en Chen Muhua Ji Pengfei Zhang Jingfu Zhang Aiping Wu Xueqian Wang Bingqian Song Ping Song Jian
7th State Council (1988–1993) Li Tieying Qin Jiwei Wang Bingqian Song Jian Wang Fang Zou Jiahua Li Guixian Chen Xitong Chen Junsheng Qian Qichen
8th State Council (1993–1998) Li Tieying Chi Haotian Song Jian Li Guixian Chen Junsheng Ismail Amat Peng Peiyun Luo Gan - Secretary-General of the State Council
9th State Council (1998–2003) Chi Haotian Luo Gan Ismail Amat Wu Yi Wang Zhongyu
10th State Council (2003–2008) Zhou Yongkang Cao Gangchuan Tang Jiaxuan Hua Jianmin Chen Zhili
11th State Council (2008–2013) Liu Yandong Ma Kai Liang Guanglie Meng Jianzhu Dai Bingguo
12th State Council (2013–2018)NPC endorses new cabinet lineup Yang Jing Chang Wanquan Yang Jiechi Guo Shengkun Wang Yong
13th State Council (2018–2023) Wei Fenghe Wang Yong Wang Yi Xiao Jie Zhao Kezhi
14th State Council (2023–present) From the 1st Session of the 14th National People's Congress to the 6th Session of the Standing Committee of the 14th National People's Congress Li Shangfu Wang Xiaohong Wu Zhenglong Shen Yiqin Qin Gang Since the 6th Session of the Standing Committee of the 14th National People's Congress Wang Xiaohong Wu Zhenglong Shen Yiqin
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