The minister of public security is a member of the State Council of China and the head of the Ministry of Public Security (MPS). The position reports directly to the head of the Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission (CPLC) of the Chinese Communist Party. Within the State Council, the position is eight in order of precedence.
Officially, the minister is nominated by the premier of the State Council, who is then approved by the National People's Congress or its Standing Committee and appointed by the president. The minister is tasked with overseeing the public security police forces throughout the country. The minister concurrently serves as the director of the MPS Special Duty Bureau, responsible for protecting high-ranking political leaders. The ministers are each awarded the police rank of Commissioner General. The minister also usually serves as a state councillor and as the deputy secretary of the CPLC.
The minister is assisted by several vice ministers. Vice ministers generally serve as the director of the National Immigration Administration, director of the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau, director of the Legal System Bureau and director of the Political Security Protection Bureau.
History The Ministry of Public Security of the Central People's Government was established on 1 October 1949, and Luo Ruiqing became the first minister of public security on 19 October 1949. The ministry was renamed to the Ministry of Public Security of the PRC in September 1954; the office was also renamed. On 22 June 1970, the CCP Central Committee approved of the establishment of a Revolutionary Committee in the MPS, the director became the leader of the ministry. The ministerial system was restored in January 1975.
List of ministers PortraitNameTerm of officeImportant offices held during tenurePremierTook officeLeft officeTermMinister of Public Security of the Central People's Government1Luo Ruiqing罗瑞卿19 October 194928 September 1954Deputy Director of the Political and Legal Committee of the State CouncilCommander of the People's Liberation Army Public Security ForcePolitical Commissar of the People's Liberation Army Public Security ForceZhou EnlaiMinister of Public Security of the People's Republic of China1Luo Ruiqing罗瑞卿28 September 195417 September 1959Deputy Director of the Political and Legal Committee of the State CouncilCommander of the People's Liberation Army Public Security ForcePolitical Commissar of the People's Liberation Army Public Security Force Vice Premier of the State CouncilZhou Enlai2Xie Fuzhi谢富治17 September 195922 June 1970Commander of the People's Liberation Army Public Security ForcePolitical Commissar of the People's Liberation Army Public Security ForceVice Premier of the State CouncilSecretary of the CCP SecretariatDirector of the Beijing Revolutionary CommitteePolitical Commissar of the Beijing Military RegionPolitical Commissar of the PLA Beijing GarrisonDirector of the Revolutionary Committee of the Ministry of Public Security3Li Zhen李震22 June 197021 October 1973Head of the Party Core Group of the Ministry of Public SecurityZhou EnlaiVacant21 October 1973 – 17 January 1975Minister of Public Security of the People's Republic of China4Hua Guofeng华国锋17 March 19755 March 1978Premier of the State CouncilChairman of the Central Military CommissionZhou Enlai↓Hua Guofeng5Zhao Cangbi赵苍璧5 March 197821 June 1983Secretary of the Party Leadership Group of the Ministry of Public SecurityMember of the Central Political and Legal Affairs CommissionPolitical Commissar of the People's Armed PoliceHua Guofeng↓Zhao Ziyang6Liu Fuzhi刘复之21 June 19836 September 1985Secretary of the Party Leadership Group of the Ministry of Public SecurityPolitical Commissar of the People's Armed PoliceDeputy Secretary of the Central Political and Legal Affairs CommissionZhao Ziyang7Ruan Chongwu阮崇武6 September 198511 April 1987Secretary of the Party Leadership Group of the Ministry of Public SecurityPolitical Commissar of the People's Armed Police8Wang Fang王芳11 April 198728 December 1990Secretary of the Party Leadership Group of the Ministry of Public SecurityPolitical Commissar of the People's Armed PoliceState CouncillorDirector of the National Narcotics Control CommissionZhao Ziyang↓Li Peng9Tao Siju陶驷驹28 December 199019 March 1998Secretary of the Party Leadership Group of the Ministry of Public SecurityPolitical Commissar of the People's Armed PoliceLi Peng10Jia Chunwang贾春旺19 March 199828 December 2002Secretary of the Party Leadership Group of the Ministry of Public SecurityPolitical Commissar of the People's Armed PoliceZhu Rongji11Zhou Yongkang周永康28 December 200228 October 2007Secretary of the Party Leadership Group of the Ministry of Public SecurityPolitical Commissar of the People's Armed PoliceState CouncillorSecretary of the CCP SecretariatDeputy Secretary of the Central Political and Legal Affairs CommissionZhu Rongji↓Wen Jiabao12Meng Jianzhu孟建柱28 October 200728 December 2012Secretary of the Party Leadership Group of the Ministry of Public SecurityPolitical Commissar of the People's Armed PoliceState CouncillorSecretary of the Central Political and Legal Affairs CommissionWen Jiabao13Guo Shengkun郭声琨28 December 20124 November 2017Secretary of the Party Leadership Group of the Ministry of Public SecurityPolitical Commissar of the People's Armed PoliceState CouncillorSecretary of the CCP SecretariatDeputy Secretary of the Central Political and Legal Affairs CommissionWen Jiabao↓Li Keqiang14Zhao Kezhi赵克志4 November 201724 June 2022Secretary of the Party Leadership Group of the Ministry of Public SecurityState CouncillorDeputy Secretary of the Central Political and Legal Affairs CommissionLi Keqiang15Wang Xiaohong王小洪24 June 2022IncumbentSecretary of the Party Leadership Group of the Ministry of Public SecurityPolitical Commissar of the People's Armed PoliceState CouncillorDeputy Secretary of the Central Political and Legal Affairs CommissionLi Keqiang↓Li Qiang
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