What type of government is in power in China?
China is a socialist people's republic governed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Power is officially divided among the National People's Congress, the judicial system, and the State Council, but the CCP controls all levels of government.
Official Structure of Power
Political power in the People's Republic of China is theoretically divided into three branches:
- The National People's Congress: supreme legislative body
- The judicial system: people's courts
- The State Council: executive body headed by the Prime Minister
The Central Role of the Chinese Communist Party
In reality, each level of the State is duplicated by a position of the Chinese Communist Party, the latter having supremacy. The Constitution defines China as "a socialist state of people's democratic dictatorship, led by the working class" and officially enshrines the leading role of the CCP.
Territorial and Social Control
Despite the vastness of Chinese territory, Beijing's control remains effective through:
- The centralized structure inherited from imperial China
- Party representatives in every city, village, school and hospital
- Neighborhood councils relaying power at the local level
- Control of information and censorship