President

♤ The President of the Republic is regarded as head of the state.

♤ He is elected by the Congress for a period of five years.

♤ The President enjoys the most prestigious position in the administrative setup.

Under the country's constitution, the presidency is a largely ceremonial office with limited powers. However, since 1993, as a matter of convention, the presidency has been held simultaneously by General Secretary of Communist Party of China and also the president will be automatically head of the military. The office is officially regarded as an institution of the state rather than an administrative post. Theoretically, the President serves at the pleasure of the National People's Congress, and is not legally vested to take executive action on its own prerogative.

The President has the power to promulgate laws, select and dismiss Premier as well as ministers of the State Council, grant presidential pardons, declare a state of emergency, issue mass mobilization orders, and issue state honors. In addition, President names and dismisses ambassadors to foreign countries, signs and annuls treaties with foreign entities. According to the Constitution, all of these powers require the approval or confirmation of the National People's Congress.

The President must be a Chinese citizen with full electoral rights who has reached the age of 45. Until 2018, President and Vice-President had two term limit. National People's Congress in March, 2018 passed a constitutional amendment removing presidential term limits, allowing the current president and vice-president to remain in office indefinitely. The limit of two five-year presidential terms was written into China’s constitution after Mao Zedong’s death in 1976. The system was enacted by Deng Xiaoping, who recognized the dangers of one-man rule and the cult of personality and instead espoused collective leadership. This constitutional revision also enshrines current President Xi Jinping’s ideology as “Xi Jinping thought” alongside “scientific development” theory of his predecessor Hu Jintao.