General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party

History

Following the establishment of the CCP, its inaugural leader, Chen Duxiu, held various positions including secretary of the Central Bureau, chairman of the Central Executive Committee (), and general secretary of the Central Committee. From 11 to 22 January 1925, the 4th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party issued 11 resolutions, including modifications to the CCP constitution, to succinctly encapsulate the revolutionary experiences acquired during the First United Front. The Chairman of the Central Executive Committee was reappointed as General Secretary, and Chen Duxiu was elected as General Secretary of the Central Committee and Director of the Central Organization Department.

Between 1928 and 1943, Xiang Zhongfa, Wang Ming, Bo Gu, Zhang Wentian and others successively served as General Secretaries of the CCP. At a Politburo meeting in March 1943, the Central Committee was reorganized and the position of Chairman of the Central Secretariat was established. Mao Zedong was elected Chairman of the Politburo and Chairman of the Central Secretariat, thus establishing his unified leadership. On 19 June 1945, the 7th Central Committee held its first plenary session where Mao was elected Chairman of the Central Committee at the meeting, abolishing the post of general secretary.

On 1 September 1982, the CCP convened its 12th Congress, during which it resolved to amend the CCP constitution to eliminate the position of Chairman of the Central Committee, retaining only the role of General Secretary of the Central Committee. It established that the responsibilities of the General Secretary would include convening meetings of the Politburo of the Central Committee and the Standing Committee of the Politburo, as well as presiding over the operations of the Central Committee Secretariat. The party's last chairman, Hu Yaobang, transferred to the post of General Secretary.

Since its revival in 1982, the post of general secretary has been the highest office in the CCP, though it did not become the most powerful post until Deng Xiaoping's retirement in 1989. Since the mid-1990s, starting with Jiang Zemin, the general secretary has traditionally also held the post of president of China. While the presidency is a ceremonial post, it is customary for the general secretary to assume the presidency to confirm his status as state representative. It has additionally been held together with the post of chairman of the Central Military Commission, making the holder the supreme commander of the People's Liberation Army. The system of holding the three posts simultaneously has officially been referred to as the "three-in-one" leadership system ().

Election and term of office

The CCP general secretary is nominally elected by a plenary meeting of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party from among the members of the Politburo Standing Committee. In practice, the de facto method of selecting the general secretary has varied over time. According to the current CCP constitution, the term of office of the general secretary is the same as that of the Central Committee, which is five years. There is no limit to the number of consecutive terms, and theoretically, the officeholder can serve an unlimited number of terms.

Powers and position

The powers and roles of the general secretary are vaguely defined, with no term limits or written rules for selecting a successor. However, as China is a one-party state, the general secretary holds ultimate power and authority over state and government, and is usually considered the "paramount leader" of China. The general secretary has been the highest-ranking official in China's political system since 1982. The location of the office of the general secretary is the Qinzheng Hall in Zhongnanhai, which also serves as the headquarters of the Secretariat.

According to the CCP constitution, the general secretary serves as an ex officio member of the Politburo Standing Committee. A Politburo meeting in October 2017 after the first plenary session of the 19th CCP Central Committee stipulated that all Politburo members must make an annual written presentation to the CCP General Secretary and the Central Committee. At the opening of a CCP National Congress, the general secretary delivers the political report of the incumbent Central Committee, which details the work of the Central Committee in the last five years as well as the goals for the upcoming years.

According to internal regulations, the general secretary is responsible for convening the meetings of the Politburo and the Politburo Standing Committee. The general secretary additionally presides over the work of the Secretariat. The general secretary also sets the topics of Central Committee, Politburo and Politburo Standing Committee meetings. Internal regulations state that decision-making and coordinating bodies of the CCP Central Committee can convene meetings to study, decide on, and coordinate major tasks in relevant fields based on the decisions of the Central Committee and the general secretary's instructions, with the agenda items for these meetings determined or approved by the general secretary.

According to Hong Kong media reports, per the implementation rules of the Central Committee's Eight-point Regulation, the status of the general secretary is superior to that of other members of the Politburo Standing Committee, enjoying a number of special treatments, which highlight the position's supreme status. There is no limit on the length of news reports, live television broadcasts can be arranged, synchronized audio can be broadcast, and the number of accompanying reporters is not limited for the general secretary. The general secretary can take a special plane when visiting foreign countries, and reports on foreign visits can be accompanied by side notes, features, and summaries, with no limit on the number of words.

List of general secretaries

1921–1943

Since 1982

Notes

References

References

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