The
political ranking of the People's Republic of ChinaChina , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
is the ranking of political leaders in China, by order of presumed political power. Although there is no formally published ranking, there is usually an established convention and protocol, and the relative positions of Chinese political figures can usually be deduced from the order in meetings and especially by the time and order which figures are covered by the official media.
Depending on the person and the time period, the hierarchy will vary accordingly. Although Chinese political positions are becoming increasingly institutionalized, part of the power of Chinese leaders still derives from who they are, rather than what position they hold. The informal role as Party "Center" (currently the position of
General SecretaryThe General Secretary of the Communist Party of China , officially General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, is the highest ranking official within the Communist Party of China, a standing member of the Politburo and head of the Secretariat...
) is an example of the continuing importance of non-institutionalized and informal practices of power.
Individuals can hold multiple top leadership titles but also be unable to claim to be the de facto ruler as was the case with
ChairmanThe Chairman of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China was the head of the Communist Party of China . In 1982, it was succeeded by the General Secretary of the Central Committee.-History and functions:...
Hua GuofengSu Zhu, better known by the nom de guerre Hua Guofeng , was Mao Zedong's designated successor as the Paramount Leader of the Communist Party of China and the People's Republic of China. Upon Zhou Enlai's death in 1976, he succeeded Zhou as the second Premier of the People's Republic of China...
, when "
Paramount leaderParamount leader literally "the highest leader of the party and the state ", in modern Chinese political science, unofficially refers to the political leader of the People's Republic of China....
"
Deng XiaopingDeng Xiaoping was a Chinese politician, statesman, and diplomat. As leader of the Communist Party of China, Deng was a reformer who led China towards a market economy...
was present. The traditional ranking system was based upon the hierarchical line of the
politburo standing committeeThe Politburo Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China is a committee consisting of the top leadership of the Communist Party of China, whose membership varies between 5 and 9 people. The inner workings of the PSC are not well known, although it is believed that decisions of the PSC are...
; however, "special" cases do arise as it is the case with
Jiang ZeminJiang Zemin is a former Chinese politician, who served as General Secretary of the Communist Party of China from 1989 to 2002, as President of the People's Republic of China from 1993 to 2003, and as Chairman of the Central Military Commission from 1989 to 2005...
and the 4th Generation leaders. Jiang, although retired from the politburo and the central committee, was nonetheless ranked number two for being the all-powerful CMC chairman until his resignation on September 19, 2004.
Leaders of the Party and the State
By convention, persons holding positions of the Vice-Chairs of the NPC or above are referred to "Leaders of the Party and the State" (党和国家领导人) in the official media. A highly typical ranking is as follows:
| Rank |
Official Title |
Current Occupant |
| 1 |
General Secretary of the Communist Party of China The General Secretary of the Communist Party of China , officially General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, is the highest ranking official within the Communist Party of China, a standing member of the Politburo and head of the Secretariat...
|
Hu JintaoHu Jintao is the current Paramount Leader of the People's Republic of China. He has held the titles of General Secretary of the Communist Party of China since 2002, President of the People's Republic of China since 2003, and Chairman of the Central Military Commission since 2004, succeeding Jiang...
|
| 2 |
President of the People's Republic of ChinaThe President of the People's Republic of China is a ceremonial office and a part of State organs under the National People's Congress and it is the head of state of the People's Republic of China . The office was created by the 1982 Constitution...
|
| 3 / 4 |
Chairman of the Standing Committee of the NPC |
Wu BangguoWu Bangguo is a high-ranking politician in the People's Republic of China. He is currently Chairman and Party secretary of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, a position that makes him China's chief legislator...
|
| Premier of the State Council of the People's Republic of China |
Wen JiabaoWen Jiabao is the sixth and current Premier and Party secretary of the State Council of the People's Republic of China, serving as China's head of government and leading its cabinet. In his capacity as Premier, Wen is regarded as the leading figure behind China's economic policy...
|
| 5 |
Chairman of the National Committee of the CPPCC |
Jia QinglinJia Qinglin is a senior leader of the People's Republic of China. He is the fourth ranking member of the Politburo Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China, the Chairman and Party secretary of the National Committee of the People's Political Consultative Conference. Jia's functions as...
|
| 6 |
Chairman of the Central Military Commission The Chairman of the Central Military Commission of the People's Republic of China has overall responsibility for the Central Military Commission. According to Chapter 3, Section 4 of the Constitution of the People's Republic of China, "The Central Military Commission of the People's Republic of...
|
Hu JintaoHu Jintao is the current Paramount Leader of the People's Republic of China. He has held the titles of General Secretary of the Communist Party of China since 2002, President of the People's Republic of China since 2003, and Chairman of the Central Military Commission since 2004, succeeding Jiang...
|
| 7 |
Vice President of the People's Republic of ChinaThe Vice President of the People's Republic of China , formerly called Vice Chairman of the People's Republic of China from 1954 to 1975, or abbreviated Guójiā Fù Zhǔxí 国家副主席, literally State Vice-chairman) is a senior position in the government of the People's Republic of China.-Selection and...
|
Xi JinpingXi Jinping is a high ranking politician of the People's Republic of China. He currently serves as the top-ranking member of the Secretariat of the Communist Party of China, the country's Vice President, Vice-Chairman of the Central Military Commission, President of the Central Party School and the...
|
Order of precedence
Official state media, when reporting news pieces, adhere to strict ranking protocol when the news involves multiple top leaders. As a result, the news overlooks the actual importance of the story attached to each leader, rather the news order is determined by political ranking alone. For example, if the Premier was on a relief visit to a region damaged by an earthquake, and the Chairman of the National People's Congress happened to be chairing a regular NPC meeting, the NPC chair would always have his news item placed before that of the Premier. The order of precedence is strictly adhered to when seating leaders at official meetings and functions. The current
order of precedenceAn order of precedence is a sequential hierarchy of nominal importance of items. Most often it is used in the context of people by many organizations and governments...
is as follows (bolded members of first section are current members of the Politburo Standing Committee) :
Other Members of the CPC Politburo
- In order of surname strokes
The surname stroke order is a Chinese name ordering system. It arose as an impartial method of categorization of the order in which names appear in official documentation or in ceremonial procedure without any line of hierarchy. In official setting, the number of strokes in a person's surname...
Former leaders from the Politburo Standing Committee or equivalent
in order of seniority at the time they were in office
| Name |
Image |
Born year |
Party-joining year |
Former highest post(s) |
Retirement year |
Jiang ZeminJiang Zemin is a former Chinese politician, who served as General Secretary of the Communist Party of China from 1989 to 2002, as President of the People's Republic of China from 1993 to 2003, and as Chairman of the Central Military Commission from 1989 to 2005...
|
 |
1926 |
1946 |
General Secretary of the Communist Party of China The General Secretary of the Communist Party of China , officially General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, is the highest ranking official within the Communist Party of China, a standing member of the Politburo and head of the Secretariat...
President of the People's Republic of ChinaThe President of the People's Republic of China is a ceremonial office and a part of State organs under the National People's Congress and it is the head of state of the People's Republic of China . The office was created by the 1982 Constitution...
Chairman of the Central Military CommissionThe Chairman of the Central Military Commission of the People's Republic of China has overall responsibility for the Central Military Commission. According to Chapter 3, Section 4 of the Constitution of the People's Republic of China, "The Central Military Commission of the People's Republic of...
|
2005 |
Li PengLi Peng served as the fourth Premier of the People's Republic of China, between 1987 and 1998, and the Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, China's top legislative body, from 1998 to 2003. For much of the 1990s Li was ranked second in the Communist Party of China ...
|
|
1928 |
1945 |
Member of the CPC Politburo Standing Committee
Premier of the People's Republic of ChinaThe Premier of the State Council of the People's Republic of China , sometimes also referred to as the "Prime Minister" informally, is the Leader of the State Council of the People's Republic of China , who is the head of government and holds the highest-ranking of the Civil service of the...
Chairman of the Standing Committee of the NPC |
2003 |
Wan LiWan Li was during a long administrative career in the People's Republic of China Vice Premier, National People's Congress Chairman, and a member of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, its Secretariat and its Politburo...
|
 |
1916 |
1936 |
Member of the CPC Politburo
Chairman of the Standing Committee of the NPC |
1993 |
| Qiao Shi Qiao Shi is a politician in the People's Republic of China. He was born as Jiang Zhitong , to parents of Dinghai, Zhejiang province ancestry. He is said to be distantly related to Chiang Kai-shek's family and this was the cause for the persecution he suffered during the Cultural Revolution...
|
|
1924 |
1940 |
Member of the CPC Politburo Standing Committee
Chairman of the Standing Committee of the NPC |
1998 |
Zhu RongjiZhū Róngjī is a prominent Chinese politician who served as the Mayor and Party chief in Shanghai between 1987 and 1991, before serving as Vice-Premier and then the fifth Premier of the People's Republic of China from March 1998 to March 2003.A tough administrator, his time in office saw the...
|
|
1928 |
1949 |
Member of the CPC Politburo Standing Committee
Premier of the People's Republic of China |
2003 |
Li RuihuanLi Ruihuan was a politician active late 20th century and early 21st century in the People's Republic of China. Li was a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of 15th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China until November 2002...
|
|
1934 |
1959 |
Member of the CPC Politburo Standing Committee
Chairman of the National Committee of the CPPCC |
2003 |
| Song Ping Song Ping was an official in the Communist Party of China, a former member of the Standing Committee, and is considered a member of the Second Generation of Chinese Leadership.-Biography:...
|
|
1917 |
1937 |
Member of the CPC Politburo Standing Committee |
1992 |
| Wei Jianxing Wei Jianxing is a former senior leader in the Communist Party of China, a standing committee member of politburo in CPC, the secretary of Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the Communist Party of China, and the chairman of All-China Federation of Trade Unions.- Biography :Wei...
|
|
1931 |
1949 |
Member of the CPC Politburo Standing Committee
Secretary of the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection |
2002 |
Li LanqingLi Lanqing is a prominent Chinese politician.-Biography:He is a former member of the Politburo Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China. While in government he was First Vice-Premier. In his capacity as Vice Premier, Li was responsible for national education policy...
|
|
1932 |
1952 |
Member of the CPC Politburo Standing Committee
Vice Premier of the People's Republic of ChinaThe Vice Premier of the State Council of the People's Republic of China is a high-ranking executive assistant to the Premier. There is a First-ranking Vice Premier , sometimes called Executive Vice Premier wrongly by the non-official media. It is an informal title and takes over duties of the...
|
2003 |
Zeng QinghongZeng Qinghong was the Vice-President of the People's Republic of China from 2003 to 2008. He became a member of the Politburo Standing Committee and member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee during the 2002 16th Party Congress. Although he was formally ranked fifth in the nine PSC...
|
|
1939 |
1960 |
Member of the CPC Politburo Standing Committee
Secretary of the CPC Central SecretariatThe Secretariat of the Communist Party of China Central Committee is the permanent bureaucracy of the Communist Party of China and forms a parallel structure to state organizations in the People's Republic of China....
Vice President of the People's Republic of ChinaThe Vice President of the People's Republic of China , formerly called Vice Chairman of the People's Republic of China from 1954 to 1975, or abbreviated Guójiā Fù Zhǔxí 国家副主席, literally State Vice-chairman) is a senior position in the government of the People's Republic of China.-Selection and...
|
2008 |
| Wu Guanzheng Wu Guanzheng was the head of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the Communist Party of China, an anti-corruption body from 2002 to 2007.-Career:...
|
|
1938 |
1962 |
Member of the CPC Politburo Standing Committee
Secretary of the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection |
2007 |
| Luo Gan Luo Gan is a former member of the Politburo Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China and former Political and Legislative Affairs Committee secretary of the People's Republic of China.-Biography:...
|
|
1935 |
1960 |
Member of the CPC Politburo Standing Committee
Secretary of the CPC Central Political and Legislative Affairs CommitteeThe Political and Legislative Affairs Committee of the Communist Party of China Central Committee is the organization under the Communist Party of China Central Committee responsible for political and legal affairs...
|
2007 |
Members of the Secretariat of the Communist Party of China
- Vice-Chairmen of the Central Military Commission
A Central Military Commission or National Defense Commission is an organisation typical of Communist one-party states, responsible for supervising the nation's armed forces....
- Secretariat of the Communist Party of China Central Committee
The Secretariat of the Communist Party of China Central Committee is the permanent bureaucracy of the Communist Party of China and forms a parallel structure to state organizations in the People's Republic of China....
- He Yong
He Yong is a Secretary in the 17th Secretariat of the Communist Party of China Central Committee.-References:...
- Ling Jihua
Ling Jihua is a politician of the People's Republic of China. He currently serves as a secretary of the Central Secretariat of the Communist Party of China, and the director of general office of Central Committee of CPC.-Biography:...
- Wang Huning
Wang Huning is a politician of the People's Republic of China. He currently serves as secretary of central secretariat of the Communist Party of China, and the director of Policy Research Office.- Biography :...
- Vice-Chairmen of the National People's Congress
The National People's Congress , abbreviated NPC , is the highest state body and the only legislative house in the People's Republic of China. The National People's Congress is held in the Great Hall of the People, Beijing, capital of the People's Republic of China; with 2,987 members, it is the...
(In following order)
- Wang Zhaoguo
Wang Zhaoguo is a Chinese politician who came to prominence during the era of Deng Xiaoping. At age 41 he had already acquired a ministerial position job.-Biography:...
(already mentioned)
- Lu Yongxiang
Lu Yongxiang , aka Yung-Hsiang Lu, was President of the Chinese Academy of Sciences until March 2011.-Biography:Lu studied in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Zhejiang University, and majored at hydrodynamics . He graduated from Zhejiang University in 1964, and became a lecturer in his...
- Uyunqimg
Uyunqimg is the highest-ranking ethnic Mongolian official and second-highest ranking female official in the People's Republic of China...
(Mongol)
- Han Qide
Han Qide , is a prominent politician and medical scientist of the People's Republic of China....
- Hua Jianmin
Hua Jianmin currently serves as one of the vice chairmen of the standing committee of the 11th National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China...
- Chen Zhili
Chen Zhili is a senior female politician of the People's Republic of China, and the former State Councilor and Minister of Education of PRC. She currently serves as vice chairman of stading committee of 11th National People's Congress, vice chairman of organization commission of 29th Olympic...
- Zhou Tienong
Zhou Tienong . In 1955 he began studying at the Peking University. During 1990s Zhou advanced politically, and now he is a Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress....
- Li Jianguo
Li Jianguo is a politician of the People's Republic of China, and former Party chief of Shaanxi and Shandong Provinces...
- Ismail Tiliwaldi
Ismail Tiliwaldi was the chairman of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China from 2003 to 2007 and is currently a Vice-Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress....
(UyghurThe Uyghur are a Turkic ethnic group living in Eastern and Central Asia. Today, Uyghurs live primarily in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in the People's Republic of China...
)
- Jiang Shusheng
Jiang Shusheng is a Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress.-References:Attendance at Sino-Ecuadorian Relations Banquet in late 2009 :...
- Chen Changzhi
Chen Changzhi is a Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China.-References:...
- Yan Junqi
Yan Junqi is currently the vice chairwoman of the standing committee of the National People's Congress of China, and the chairwoman of China Association for Promoting Democracy...
- Sang Guowei
Sang Guowei is a Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress.-References:...
- State Councilor
The State Councilor is a powerful position within the State Council of the People's Republic of China, i.e. the executive organ of China's central government...
s: Liu YandongLiu Yandong is an official of the Communist Party of China currently serving on the Politburo. She also holds the post of State Councilor...
, Liang GuanglieLiang Guanglie is the current Minister for National Defense in the People's Republic of China and serves as a general in the People's Liberation Army of China.-Biography:...
, Ma KaiMa Kai is a State Councilor and Secretary General of the State Council of the People's Republic of China.-Biography:Ma Kai was born in Jinshan, Shanghai in 1946. He received his Master's degree from Renmin University of China in 1982....
, Meng JianzhuMeng Jianzhu is the Minister of the Public Security of the People's Republic of China.-Life and career:Meng was born in July 1947, a native of Suzhou, Jiangsu Province.Meng was one of the deputy mayors of Shanghai from 1993 to 1996...
, Dai BingguoDai Bingguo is a Chinese politician and professional diplomat. Since 2008, Dai has emerged as one of the foremost and highest-ranking figures of Chinese foreign policy in the Hu Jintao administration....
(in order of rank)
- Chairman of the Supreme People's Court (Wang Shengjun
Wang Shengjun became elected President of the Supreme People's Court of the People's Republic of China in March 2008.-Biography:He joined the Communist Party of China in 1972....
)
- Chairman of the Supreme People's Procuratorate
The Supreme People's Procuratorate is the highest agency at the national level responsible for both prosecution and investigation in the People's Republic of China...
(Cao JianmingCao Jianming is the Procurator-General of the Supreme People's Procuratorate of the People's Republic of China.-Biography:He received his LL.B and LL.M degrees from East China University of Political Science and Law in 1983 and 1986....
)
- Vice-chairpersons of the CPPCC (In following order)
- Wang Gang
Wang Gang is a politician of the People's Republic of China and a leader of the Communist Party of China . He was born in Fuyu County, Jilin Province, and graduated from the department of philosophy of Jilin University. He joined the CPC in June 1971...
- Liao Hui
- Du Qinglin
Du Qinglin is a politician of the People's Republic of China. He currently serves as vice chairman of Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference , and the director of United Front Work Department of Communist Party of China....
- Ngapoi Ngawang Jigme
Ngapoi Ngawang Jigme was a Tibetan senior official who assumed various military and political responsibilities both before and after 1951. He is often known simply as Ngabo in English sources.-Early life:...
(TibetTibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
an)
- Pabra Grimlge (Tibetan)
- Ma Man-kei
- Bai Lizhen
- Chen Kuiyuan
Chen Kuiyuan is a politician of the People's Republic of China. He currently serves as the vice chairman of Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference , and the president and the Party chief of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences....
- Abrati Abdruashti (Uygur)
- Li Zhaochuo
- Huang Mengfu
Huang Mengfu is a vice chairman of the China People's Political Consultative Conference and chairman of the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce. He ranks as a national leader of China....
- Tung Chee Hwa
Tung Chee Hwa, GBM was the first Chief Executive and President of the Executive Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China....
- Zhang Meiying
- Zhang Rongming
- Qian Yunlu
Qian Yunlu is a Chinese politician and was the Communist Party of China Committee Secretary of Heilongjiang province in northeast China....
- Sun Jiazheng
- Li Jinhua
Li Jinhua is a high official of the People's Republic of China.-Biography:Li Jinhua was born in Rudong, Jiangsu in 1943...
- Zheng Wantong
- Deng Pufang
Deng Pufang is the first son of former China's Paramount leader Deng Xiaoping. He is mostly known for being crippled by the Red Guards, and becoming a paraplegic. He has since dedicated his life to improving the rights of handicapped people.-Biography:Deng Pufang was born to Deng Xiaoping and...
- Wan Gang
Wan Gang is a Chinese expert on automobiles, former president of Tongji University and the Minister of Science and Technology of PRC.-Biography:Wan graduated from Northeast Forestry University...
- Li Wenyi
- Luo Fuhe
- Chen Zhongxing
- Wang Zhizhen
- Members of the Central Military Commission
A Central Military Commission or National Defense Commission is an organisation typical of Communist one-party states, responsible for supervising the nation's armed forces....
- Liang Guanglie
Liang Guanglie is the current Minister for National Defense in the People's Republic of China and serves as a general in the People's Liberation Army of China.-Biography:...
- Chen Bingde
Chen Bingde is a general in the People's Liberation Army. He was the Director-General of the General Armaments Department until September 2007. In this position he acted as the head of the space program of China. Currently he is the commanding general of People's Liberation Army General Staff...
- Li Jinai
Li Jinai is a general in the People's Liberation Army.-Biography:Li Jinai was born in Tengzhou, Shandong province in July 1942. He joined the Chinese Communist Party in May 1965 and joined the People's Liberation Army in December 1967...
- Liao Xilong
Liao Xilong is a general in the People's Liberation Army.-Biography:...
- Chang Wanquan
Chang Wanquan is a general in the People's Liberation Army. He is the current director of the PLA General Armaments Department and a member of the Central Military Commission of the People's Republic of China....
- Jing Zhiyuan
Jing Zhiyuan is a general in the People's Liberation Army of the People's Republic of China. His ancestors are from Linmu, in Shandong province, and he was born in Xiangfan city, in Hubei province.-Military career:...
- Wu Shengli
-External links:...
- Xu Qiliang
Xu Qiliang is a general in the People's Liberation Army of the People's Republic of China, a member of the Central Military Commission of the Communist Party of China , and the current commander of the People's Liberation Army Air Force.Born in Linqu County, Shandong Province, he is the son of Xu...
- Heads of Ministries and Government agencies under the State Council
The State Council of the People's Republic of China , which is largely synonymous with the Central People's Government after 1954, is the chief administrative authority of the People's Republic of China. It is chaired by the Premier and includes the heads of each governmental department and agency...
(in following order)
- Minister of Foreign Affairs Yang Jiechi
- Minister of National Defense Liang Guanglie
Liang Guanglie is the current Minister for National Defense in the People's Republic of China and serves as a general in the People's Liberation Army of China.-Biography:...
earlier on list
- Chairman of the State Development and Reform Commission Zhang Ping
Zhang Ping is the current chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission, a prominent department within the State Council of the People's Republic of China. Prior to his current position, he served as deputy secretary general of the State Council from 2006 to 2008.-Biography:Zhang was...
- Minister of Education Zhou Ji
Zhou Ji is a Chinese politician. He served as the Minister of Education of the People's Republic of China between 2003 and 2009. He was educated in the United States and served briefly as the Mayor of Wuhan earlier in his career...
- Minister of Science and Technology Wan Gang
Wan Gang is a Chinese expert on automobiles, former president of Tongji University and the Minister of Science and Technology of PRC.-Biography:Wan graduated from Northeast Forestry University...
earlier on list
- State Ethnic Affairs Commission Yang Jing
Yang Jing is the Chairman of State Ethnic Affairs Commission.-Biography:He is of Mongol ancestry and a native of Jungar Banner in Ordos City. Between 2003 and 2008 he served as the Chairman of Inner Mongolia and concurrently the region's Deputy party secretary, alongside Party Secretary Chu Bo...
(Mongol)
- Minister of Public Security Meng Jianzhu
Meng Jianzhu is the Minister of the Public Security of the People's Republic of China.-Life and career:Meng was born in July 1947, a native of Suzhou, Jiangsu Province.Meng was one of the deputy mayors of Shanghai from 1993 to 1996...
earlier on list
- Ministry of State Security Geng Huichang
Geng Huichang , is the Minister of State Security of the People's Republic of China.-Biography:He originates from Hebei.In 1985 he became deputy director of the Institute of International Relations. In 1990 he was promoted to director...
- Minister of Supervision Ma Wen
Ma Wen is a politician of the People's Republic of China. She is originally from Wuqiao county in Hebei province. She graduated from the history department of Nankai University, specializing in Chinese history. In August 1972, she joined the Communist Party of China...
- Minister of Civil Affairs Li Xueju
Li Xueju is a politician of the People's Republic of China, and the current Minister of Civil Affairs of PRC.Born in Gongzhulin, Jilin Province, Li joined the Communist Party of China in January 1966, and started working in May 1966. In early years, he served in various posts in local commune...
- Minister of Justice Wu Aiying
Wu Aiying is the Minister of Justice of the People's Republic of China.-Biography:She was educated in Shandong University from 1971 to 1973.She became the Minister of Justice in June 2005....
- Minister of Finance Xie Xuren
Xie Xuren , is the current Minister of Finance of People's Republic of China, and former Director-General of the State Administration of Taxation. He's also a member of the 17th CPC Central Committee.-Biography:...
- Minister of Personnel Yin Weimin
Yin Weimin is a politician of the People's Republic of China, and the current Minister of Human Resources and Social Security.Born in Lingshou, Hebei Province, Yin joined the Communist Party of China in 1973. He pursued an on the job master's degree in economics...
- Minister of Labor and Social Security Tian Chengping
Tian Chengping is a politician in the People's Republic of China.- Biography :Born in Daming County, Hebei Province, Tian joined the Communist Party of China in April 1964, and started working in February 1968...
- Minister of Land and Resources Xu Shaoshi
Xu Shaoshi is the current Minister of Land and Resources of the People's Republic of China.Xu was born in Ningbo, Zhejiang Province. He joined the Communist Party of China in December 1974....
- Minister of Construction Jiang Weixin
Jiang Weixin is the current Minister of Housing and Urban-Rural Construction of the People's Republic of China ....
- Minister of Railways Liu Zhijun
Liu Zhijun is a Chinese politician. He was the Minister of Railways in the People's Republic of China from 2003 to 2011. He was removed from the party chief of the ministry on February 12, 2011, and from office in the 11th NPC Standing Committee's 19th meeting on February 25 because of allegations...
- Minister of Communications Li Shenglin
Li Shenglin is the current Minister of Transport of the People's Republic of China.-Biography:...
- Minister of Information Industry Wang Xudong
Wang Xudong is a politician of the People's Republic of China and the current vice Minister of Industry and Information...
- Minister of Water Resources Chen Lei
Chen Lei is a politician of the People's Republic of China, and the current Minister of Water Resources of PRC.A native of Beijing, Chen became a worker at Ningxia 905 factory in September 1971. He joined the Communist Party of China in May, 1980...
- Minister of Agriculture Sun Zhengcai
Sun Zhengcai is the CPC Secretary of Jilin province since November 2009. Prior to that, he served as Minister of Agriculture of the People's Republic of China. In July 1988, he joined the Communist Party of China. He has been a researcher of agricultural science in Beijing, and held many...
- Minister of Commerce Chen Deming
Chen Deming is the Minister of the Chinese Ministry of Commerce. He was appointed to the post at the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress on December 29, 2007.-Biography:...
- Minister of Culture Cai Wu
Cai Wu is the current head of the Ministry of Culture of the People's Republic of China.-Biography:...
- Minister of Health Chen Zhu
Chen Zhu , is a Chinese hematologist, molecular biologist, and current Minister of Health of P.R.China...
- State Population and Family Planning Commission Li Bin
- Governor of the People's Bank of China
The People's Bank of China is the central bank of the People's Republic of China with the power to control monetary policy and regulate financial institutions in mainland China...
Zhou XiaochuanZhou Xiaochuan is a Chinese economist, banker, reformist and bureaucrat. As governor of the People's Bank of China since December 2002, he has been in charge of the monetary policy of the People's Republic of China....
- National Audit Office (Auditor General) Liu Jiayi
Liu Jiayi is the current auditor general of the National Audit Office of the People's Republic of China.-Biography:...
Provincial party secretaries/Governors
- (Follows a traditional order for provinces; this order is the convention on all national and provincial maps)
- Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
Municipality (Party Chief Liu Qi [previously mentioned], Mayor Guo JinlongGuo Jinlong is a politician of the People's Republic of China and Mayor of Beijing.- Biography :He graduated from Nanjing University Department of Physics in 1969 and joined the Communist Party of China in 1979, and was sent to work in Sichuan....
)
- Tianjin
' is a metropolis in northern China and one of the five national central cities of the People's Republic of China. It is governed as a direct-controlled municipality, one of four such designations, and is, thus, under direct administration of the central government...
Municipality (Party Chief Zhang GaoliZhang Gaoli is the current CPC Tianjin Committee Secretary. He was the Party Secretary in the economic sprawl of Shandong province until March 2007.-Biography:...
[previously mentioned], Mayor Huang XingguoHuang Xingguo is the current mayor of Tianjin.-Biography:Born in Oct. 1954 in Xiangshan County, Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, he joined the Communist Party of China in 1973....
)
- Hebei
' is a province of the People's Republic of China in the North China region. Its one-character abbreviation is "" , named after Ji Province, a Han Dynasty province that included what is now southern Hebei...
(Party Chief Zhang YunchuanZhang Yunchuan is a politician in the People's Republic of China, and the current secretary of CPC Hebei committee.Born in Dongyang, Zhejiang Province, Zhang graduated from Institute of Military Engineering in Harbin in 1970, majoring in internal combustion engine of ship. He then served in 6214...
, Governor Hu ChunhuaHu Chunhua is a politician of the People's Republic of China. He is currently the Communist Party Secretary of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, the region's top political office. Hu has worked in Tibet for much of his political career and ascended the party ranks partly through the Communist...
)
- Shanxi
' is a province in Northern China. Its one-character abbreviation is "晋" , after the state of Jin that existed here during the Spring and Autumn Period....
(Party Chief Zhang BaoshunZhang Baoshun is a politician of the People's Republic of China, and the current secretary of east China's Anhui Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China ....
, Governor Wang JunWang Jun is a politician of the People's Republic of China. He was the President and Party chief of the State Administration of Work Safety and was appointed as the acting Governor of Shanxi in September 2008. He became governor in January 2009.-Biography:...
)
- Inner Mongolia
Inner Mongolia is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China, located in the northern region of the country. Inner Mongolia shares an international border with the countries of Mongolia and the Russian Federation...
Autonomous Region (Party Chief Chu BoChu Bo is a regional Chinese politician. He served as the Communist Party of China Secretary for the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, therefore the top leader of the region, holding position from 2001 to 2009. Previously he served as Governor of Hunan....
, Chairman BagaturBagatur or Bater is a politician of the People's Republic of China of Mongol ancestry. He is currently the chairman of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and deputy secretary of the Communist Party of China Inner Mongolia Autonomous Regional Committee.-Biography:Bagatur, an ethnic Mongolian,...
)
- Liaoning
' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the northeast of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "辽" , a name taken from the Liao River that flows through the province. "Níng" means "peace"...
(Party Chief Wang Min, Governor Chen ZhenggaoChen Zhenggao is the current governor of Liaoning in the People's Republic of China.-Biography:Chen was born in Haicheng, Liaoning Province of China. He was the mayor of Shenyang, the capital of Liaoning. In December 2005, he was appointed as the secretary of CPC's Shenyang City committee...
)
- Jilin
Jilin , is a province of the People's Republic of China located in the northeastern part of the country. Jilin borders North Korea and Russia to the east, Heilongjiang to the north, Liaoning to the south, and Inner Mongolia to the west...
(Party Chief Sun ZhengcaiSun Zhengcai is the CPC Secretary of Jilin province since November 2009. Prior to that, he served as Minister of Agriculture of the People's Republic of China. In July 1988, he joined the Communist Party of China. He has been a researcher of agricultural science in Beijing, and held many...
, Governor Han ChangfuHan Changfu is the current Minister of Agriculture of the People's Republic of China, and a former governor of Jilin province....
)
- Heilongjiang
For the river known in Mandarin as Heilong Jiang, see Amur River' is a province of the People's Republic of China located in the northeastern part of the country. "Heilongjiang" literally means Black Dragon River, which is the Chinese name for the Amur. The one-character abbreviation is 黑...
(Party Chief Ji BingxuanJi Bingxuan is a politician of the People's Republic of China. He currently holds the highest post in Heilongjiang province, serving as its provincial Party Secretary.-Biography:...
, Governor Li ZhanshuLi Zhanshu is a Chinese politician. Li is the current Governor of Heilongjiang province in northeast China.Li Zhanshu was born in Hebei province in 1950. He became a member of the Communist Party of China in 1975.-Politics:...
)
- Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
Municipality (Party Chief Yu ZhengshengYu Zhengsheng is the current CPC party chief in Shanghai, China, a post which makes him first-in-charge of China's largest city. Formerly the party chief in Hubei, Yu is also concurrently a member of the Politburo, and has been since 2002.- Early life :...
[previously mentioned], Mayor Han ZhengHan Zheng is the current mayor of Shanghai, the 13th to serve in the position since the founding of the People's Republic of China...
)
- Jiangsu
' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located along the east coast of the country. The name comes from jiang, short for the city of Jiangning , and su, for the city of Suzhou. The abbreviation for this province is "苏" , the second character of its name...
(Party Chief Liang BaohuaLiang Baohua is the current CPC Jiangsu Committee Secretary and concurrently the province's governor.-Biography:A native of Yichun, Jiangxi, Liang joined the Communist Party of China in November 1965....
, Governor Luo ZhijunLuo Zhijun is the current governor of Jiangsu Province, and the vice secretary of CPC's Jiangsu committee.- Biography :...
)
- Zhejiang
Zhejiang is an eastern coastal province of the People's Republic of China. The word Zhejiang was the old name of the Qiantang River, which passes through Hangzhou, the provincial capital...
(Party Chief Zhao HongzhuZhao Hongzhu is the current secretary of the Communist Party of China Zhejiang committee.-Biography:Zhao was born in Penglai, Shandong Province, and is native to Inner Mongolia. He started his career as a People's Liberation Army officerIn April 1998, he became the deputy Minister of Supervision...
, Governor Lu ZushanLü Zushan is a Chinese politician. Since January 2003, he has been serving as the Governor of Zhejiang province, a post to which he was reconfirmed in 2008. He is also a member of the 17th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China.-References:...
)
- Anhui
Anhui is a province in the People's Republic of China. Located in eastern China across the basins of the Yangtze River and the Huai River, it borders Jiangsu to the east, Zhejiang to the southeast, Jiangxi to the south, Hubei to the southwest, Henan to the northwest, and Shandong for a tiny...
(Party Chief Wang JinshanWang Jinshan is a Chinese politician. He was elected chief Secretary of the Communist Party of China in Anhui, the top political position in the province, on January 31, 2008, at the meeting of the Anhui Provincial People's Congress.-References:...
, Governor Wang SanyunWang Sanyun is a Chinese politician. Wang was first appointed as the acting Governor of Anhui, as well as vice-governor, in December 2007. He was re-elected Governor by the Anhui Provincial People's Congress on January 31, 2008....
)
- Fujian
' , formerly romanised as Fukien or Huguing or Foukien, is a province on the southeast coast of mainland China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, and Guangdong to the south. Taiwan lies to the east, across the Taiwan Strait...
(Party Chief Lu ZhangongLu Zhangong is a politician of the People's Republic of China. He currently serves as the CPC Secretary of Henan.-Biography:Born in Cixi, Zhejiang Province, he started working in March 1969, and joined the Communist Party of China in January 1975....
, Governor Huang XiaojingHuang Xiaojing is a politician of the People's Republic of China and the current governor of Fujian Province.A native of Fuzhou, Fujian, Huang started working in September 1969, and joined the Communist Party of China in December 1973...
)
- Jiangxi
' is a southern province in the People's Republic of China. Spanning from the banks of the Yangtze River in the north into hillier areas in the south, it shares a border with Anhui to the north, Zhejiang to the northeast, Fujian to the east, Guangdong to the south, Hunan to the west, and Hubei to...
(Party Chief Su RongSu Rong is a Chinese politician who has been the chief Provincial Secretary of the Communist Party of China in Jiangxi since November 2007.-Biography:He was re-elected to the position by the Jiangxi Provincial People's Congress on January 28, 2008....
, Governor Wu XinxiongWu Xinxiong is a Chinese politician. He has served as the Governor of Jiangxi since January 2007.-Biography:...
)
- Shandong
' is a Province located on the eastern coast of the People's Republic of China. Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history from the beginning of Chinese civilization along the lower reaches of the Yellow River and served as a pivotal cultural and religious site for Taoism, Chinese...
(Party Chief Jiang YikangJiang Yikang is the current secretary of the Communist Party of China Shandong committee.-Biography:Jiang was born in Zhaoyuan, Shandong Province. He started working in December 1967, and joined the CPC in December 1970...
, Governor Jiang DamingJiang Daming is a politician of the People's Republic of China, and the current governor of Shandong province. He joined the Communist Party of China in 1976, and in 1982 received a doctorate in philosophy from Heilongjiang University...
)
- Henan
Henan , is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the central part of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "豫" , named after Yuzhou , a Han Dynasty state that included parts of Henan...
(Party Chief Xu GuangchunXu Guangchun is a politician of the People's Republic of China who succeeded outgoing Henan Party Committee secretary Li Keqiang when he was transferred to Liaoning.-Biography:...
, Governor Guo GengmaoGuo Gengmao is a politician of the People's Republic of China. He is currently the governor of Henan Province.-Biography:...
)
- Hubei
' Hupeh) is a province in Central China. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Lake Dongting...
(Party Chief Luo QingquanLuo Qingquan is a politician of the People's Republic of China, and the current secretary of the Communist Party of China Hubei committee.Born in Jiangling, Hubei, Luo started working in 1968, and joined the CPC in 1975...
, Governor Li Hongzhong)
- Hunan
' is a province of South-Central China, located to the south of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and south of Lake Dongting...
(Party Chief Zhang ChunxianZhang Chunxian is a Chinese politician. From 2005 to 2010 he was the CPC party chief of Hunan Province. He was subsequently transferred to Xinjiang to replace outgoing party secretary Wang Lequan.-Life and career:...
, Governor Zhou QiangZhou Qiang is a politician of the People's Republic of China. He currently serves as the Party chief of the Communist Party of China Hunan committee, first-in-charge of the central Chinese province. He served as the province's governor between 2007 and 2010. Zhou's ascendancy to the party...
)
- Guangdong
Guangdong is a province on the South China Sea coast of the People's Republic of China. The province was previously often written with the alternative English name Kwangtung Province...
(Party Chief Wang YangWang Yang is the current Secretary of the Guangdong Committee of the Communist Party of China, the southern Chinese province's top office. He served as the party chief of Chongqing, an interior municipality, from 2005-2007...
[previously mentioned], Governor Huang HuahuaHuang Huahua is currently the Governor of Guangdong, a southern province of China.Huang graduate of mathematics at Sun Yat-sen University....
)
- Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region
Guangxi, formerly romanized Kwangsi, is a province of southern China along its border with Vietnam. In 1958, it became the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China, a region with special privileges created specifically for the Zhuang people.Guangxi's location, in...
(Party Chief Guo Shengkun, Chairman Ma Biao)
- Hainan
Hainan is the smallest province of the People's Republic of China . Although the province comprises some two hundred islands scattered among three archipelagos off the southern coast, of its land mass is Hainan Island , from which the province takes its name...
(Party Chief Wei LiuchengWei Liucheng is a Chinese businessman and politician. He currently serves as the Communist Party of China Committee Secretary of Hainan. -Biography:...
, Governor Luo Baoming-Personal life:Luo, who was born in October 1952, is a native of Tianjin, China. He holds a master's degree in history. He joined the Communist Party of China in 1971.-Politics:...
)
- Chongqing
Chongqing is a major city in Southwest China and one of the five national central cities of China. Administratively, it is one of the PRC's four direct-controlled municipalities , and the only such municipality in inland China.The municipality was created on 14 March 1997, succeeding the...
Municipality (Party Chief Bo XilaiBo Xilai is the Communist Party of China Chongqing Committee Secretary, first-in-charge of the Western interior municipality and a member of the Politburo of the Communist Party of China...
[previously mentioned], Mayor Wang HongjuWang Hongju is a politician of the People's Republic of China. He has been the mayor of Chongqing, one of four provincial-level municipalities in China, from 2003 to November 2009. He served alongside Bo Xilai, who controls the party committee in the municipality.-Biography:Born in Chongqing, Wang...
)
- Sichuan
' , known formerly in the West by its postal map spellings of Szechwan or Szechuan is a province in Southwest China with its capital in Chengdu...
(Party Chief Liu QibaoLiu Qibao is a Chinese politician. He was elected the chairman of the Standing Committee of the Sichuan Provincial People's Congress on January 27, 2008. He also currently serves as the chief of the Communist Party of China Sichuan Committee, the province's first-in-charge.Liu Qibao was born in...
, Governor Jiang JufengJiang Jufeng is a Chinese politician and governor of Sichuan. Jiang has served as the Governor of Sichuan since January 2007.Jiang was born in 1948 in Zhejiang Province. He has served as Governor of Sichuan Province since January 2007, when he succeeded longtime Governor Zhang Zhongwei, who was in...
)
- Guizhou
' is a province of the People's Republic of China located in the southwestern part of the country. Its provincial capital city is Guiyang.- History :...
(Party Chief Shi ZongyuanShi Zongyuan , ethnic Hui, is a politician of the People's Republic of China, and the current secretary of CPC Guizhou committee and the chairman of Guizhou people's congress.- Biography :...
, Governor Lin ShusenLin Shusen , is the current governor of Guizhou Province and the vice secretary of the Communist Party of China Guizhou committee.-Biography:Lin was born in Shantou, Guangdong Province, and graduated from the Guangdong University of Technology...
)
- Yunnan
Yunnan is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the far southwest of the country spanning approximately and with a population of 45.7 million . The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders Burma, Laos, and Vietnam.Yunnan is situated in a mountainous area, with...
(Party Chief Bai EnpeiBai Enpei is a Chinese politician. Bai is currently the Secretary of the Communist Party of China Yunnan Committee, the highest political position in the province.-Biography:...
, Governor Qin GuangrongQin Guangrong is a Chinese politician. He currently serves as the Governor of Yunnan in southwestern China....
)
- Tibet Autonomous Region
The Tibet Autonomous Region , Tibet or Xizang for short, also called the Xizang Autonomous Region is a province-level autonomous region of the People's Republic of China , created in 1965....
(Party Chief Zhang QingliZhang Qingli was the Secretary of the Communist Party of China Tibet Autonomous Regional Committee. He is also a member of the 17th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China. Known for his tough policies in ethnic regions, Zhang has dismissed ethnic officials whom he considers unreliable...
, Chairman Qiangba PuncogQiangba Puncog was the Chairman of the government of Tibet Autonomous Region of China from 2003 until January 2010. He is of the Tibetan ethnicity. He was most visible in public during the 2008 Tibetan unrest, receiving diplomats and journalists...
)
- Shaanxi
' is a province in the central part of Mainland China, and it includes portions of the Loess Plateau on the middle reaches of the Yellow River in addition to the Qinling Mountains across the southern part of this province...
(Party Chief Zhao LejiZhao Leji is a Chinese politician. He is a member of the 16th and 17th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, previously the secretary of the Qinghai CPC Committee, and chairman of the Standing Committee of Qinghai Provincial People's Congress, Zhao is now the Party chief in...
, Governor Yuan ChunqingYuan Chunqing is the former governor of Shanxi Province in the People's Republic of China, and the vice secretary of the Communist Party of China Shanxi committee.- Biography :Yuan was born in Hanzhou, Hunan Province...
)
- Gansu
' is a province located in the northwest of the People's Republic of China.It lies between the Tibetan and Huangtu plateaus, and borders Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, and Ningxia to the north, Xinjiang and Qinghai to the west, Sichuan to the south, and Shaanxi to the east...
(Party Chief Lu HaoLu Hao is a Chinese politician who has been the Secretary of the Communist Party of China Gansu Committee since 2007. He previously held the post of Governor of Gansu from 2001 to 2007.-Biography:...
, Governor Xu ShoushengXu Shousheng is a Chinese politician. Xu has served as the Governor of Gansu since January 2007.-Biography:He joined the Communist Party of China, a prequisite for political office, in October 1973...
)
- Qinghai
Qinghai ; Oirat Mongolian: ; ; Salar:) is a province of the People's Republic of China, named after Qinghai Lake...
(Party Chief Qiang WeiQiang Wei is a politician of the People's Republic of China, and the current secretary of CPC Qinghai committee.He joined the Communist Party of China in March 1975, and graduated from University of Science and Technology of China with a master's degree in economic management...
, Governor Luo Huining)
- Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region
Ningxia, formerly transliterated as Ningsia, is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China. Located in Northwest China, on the Loess Plateau, the Yellow River flows through this vast area of land. The Great Wall of China runs along its northeastern boundary...
(Party Chief Chen JianguoChen Jianguo is the current secretary of the Communist Party of China Ningxia committee and the chairman of the standing committee of the Ningxia People's Congress. He was born in Rongcheng, Shandong Province. He joined the Chinese People's Liberation Army in July 1962, and the Communist Party...
, Chairman Wang ZhengweiWang Zhengwei is the current vice secretary of the Communist Party of China Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region committee and the chairman of Ningxia. He is also the chairman of Ningxia Social Science Association, a member of the Chinese Ethnic Writers Association and a member of the Ningxia Writers...
)
- Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region
Xinjiang is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China. It is the largest Chinese administrative division and spans over 1.6 million km2...
(Party Chief Wang LequanWang Lequan is a Chinese politician, currently serving as the Deputy Chair of the Political and Legislative Affairs Committee of the Communist Party of China. He was a prominent regional leader in Xinjiang, China, serving as the Region's Communist Party chief between 1994 and 2010...
[previously mentioned], Chairman Nur BekriNur Bekri is the current Chairman of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in the People's Republic of China. He is of Uyghur ethnicity and was born and raised in his native Xinjiang. He has spent his entire life in the Region, aside from a short stint as the Deputy Mayor of Feicheng, Shandong...
)
- The Special Administrative Region of Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
(Chief Executive Donald TsangSir Donald Tsang Yam-kuen, GBM, KBE is the current Chief Executive and President of the Executive Council of the Government of Hong Kong....
)
- The Special Administrative Region of Macau
Macau , also spelled Macao , is, along with Hong Kong, one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China...
(Chief Executive Fernando Chui)
- Representatives of Taiwan Province
Taiwan Province is one of the two administrative divisions referred to as provinces and is controlled by the Republic of China . The province covers approximately 73% of the territory controlled by the Republic of China...
All subsequent rankings follow the Chinese political ranking system.
Rankings below the National Leadership
Within the PRC, there is an established convention as to the ranking of officials below the central leadership. Unlike in the west, the Provincial leaders do not enjoy an elevated presence in their own province. Rather they must still be placed behind all national leaders listed above.
Departmental heads of the
Communist Party of ChinaThe Communist Party of China , also known as the Chinese Communist Party , is the founding and ruling political party of the People's Republic of China...
, and ministers of the State Council are both called
bùzhǎng (部长; literally "Head of Department"), but the Party heads are ranked half a rank above cabinet ministers, reflecting the Party's "
vanguardA vanguard party is a political party at the forefront of a mass action, movement, or revolution. The idea of a vanguard party has its origins in the Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels...
" status. Thus, for example, the head of the Party's International Department (中联部) is treated as half a rank above the minister for Foreign Affairs (外交部). However, this is not true as Departmental heads share the same rank and are treated with the same benefits as cabinet ministers.