Political Structure of The Peoples Republic of China

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Political Structure of The Peoples Republic of
China
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Who holds Power in China?

• Power is divided among three organisations
• The Communist Party
• The State
• The Army

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The Communist Party of China

• Party was founded in 1921
• It has more than 66 million members today
• Largest political party in the world
• It is not as simple as joining, it is a great
  honour and people have to work hard to prove
  their worth

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The Communist Party of China

• Very few young people join instead they become
  members of the Young Communist Youth League
• Members enjoy a good standard of living although
  more Chinese people can have this due to the
  economic changes (below 5 of the population)

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Benefits

• Party membership brings advantages
• It means access to jobs, education and a whole
  network of contacts
• its who you know, not what you know

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Control

• The CCP has complete control of the political
  system
• Partly because of its elite status, the CCP does
  not trust the ordinary Chinese people
• It is not uncommon for the CCP to have spies at
  schools and universities

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Structure of the CPC (1921)
http//news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/in_depth/chi
na_politics/government/html/8.stm

• Standing committee of the Politbureau

Secretariat
Politbureau
Central Committee
National Congress of the CPC
Country Provincial Organisations
Primary Party organisations
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Structure of the CPC

• Standing committee of the Politbureau inner
  cabinet including PM and General Secretary
• This group of 9 exerts overall control, highly
  secretative
• The real engine room of decision making
• Politbureauabout 24 members make up the
  cabinet, day-to-day charge of the country

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Structure of the CPC

• Secretariat4 members operate under General
  secretary providing admin back up and helps to
  formulate policies
• Central Committeeelected by NPC, meets twice a
  year, roughly 200 members mainly male/ elderly
• Elects politbureau and ratifies policy decisions

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Structure of the CPC

• National Congress of the CPCin theory highest
  organ, members elected from lower organisations,
  elections held every 5 years, 3000 members
• Supposed to elect central committee and approve
  policy change, elected Hu in 2002
• However many decisions already taken, generates
  good publicity

Outside the Great Hall, military delegates pose
for a photo with an ethnic Miao minority delegate
from the south-west.
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Structure of the CPC

• Country Provincial Organisationsfound at
  regional level
• Primary Party organisationsset up in farming
  communities, factories etc
• Job to implement the decisions of higher party
  organisations
• Eyes, ears and mouth of CPC

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The structure of State

• in charge of the administration mirrors CPC
• Party controls these organisations e.g.
• Local Peoples Congress people vote for
  candidate, elected candidates vote for deputies
  to be sent too higher level congresses
• NPC Parliament, elected every 5 years meet at
  least once a year for 2 weeks, rubber stamp
• State Council admin cabinet leading executive
  body, day to day management
• Peoples court since 1978 moved towards Western
  model

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The Government Structure

• Executive Branch
• Chief of State is elected by the NPC every 5
  years
• Head of Government is elected by the President
  and confirmed by the National Peoples congress
• Cabinet is appointed by The NPC

• Legislative Branch
• National Peoples Congress are elected by
  municipal, regional and provincial peoples
  congress every 5 years
• Judicial Branch
• Supreme Peoples Court is appointed by the NPC

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Who has the main state power?

• The President
• The National Peoples Congress and the State
  council

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The Peoples Liberation Army

• Retained its political significance since helping
  the CPC come to power
• Largest army in the world
• Has a network of businesses from tanks to
  toothbrushes, to make the army self-reliant but
  also provide consumer goods

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The Peoples Liberation Army

• The restructuring of the Chinese economy has
  enabled PLA to become involved in hotel, bars,
  discos etc
• This has encouraged corruption and a divide
  between the ranks
• Therefore not as efficient as it could be