The Presidency of People's Republic of China

President: Hu Jintao

Vice-President: Zeng Qinghong

The President of the People's Republic of China is the Head of State, as well as the supreme representative of China both internally and externally. The State presidency is an independent State apparatus and a component part of China's State organization.

According to international practice, the Chinese president, like most heads of state in the world, has the power to promulgate statutes and holds supreme diplomatic and ceremonial rights. Under the current Constitution, the president has the power to promulgate statutes adopted by the NPC; appoint and remove members of the State Council; confer State medals and titles of honor in line with the decisions of the NPC and its Standing Committee; issue orders for special pardons; proclaim martial law; declare a state of war and issue orders of mobilization; accept letters of credential offered by foreign diplomatic representatives on behalf of the People's Republic of China; appoint and recall China's diplomatic envoys stationed abroad; and ratify and abrogate treaties and important agreements signed with foreign states.

China's system of the head of state is a system of collective leadership. The president is subordinate to the NPC and directly receives instructions from the supreme organ of State power.

To date, six men have held the office of the president of the People's Republic of China, Mao Zedong, Liu Shaoqi, Li Xiannian, Yang Shangkun, and the current president, Jiang Zemin, Hu Jintao.