Chinese president is the national representative of People’s Republic of China and one of the national institutions. The Presidential system of the people’s Republic of China has undergone a tortuous process of development. After the first National People’s Congress was convened in 1954, the position of the President of People’s Republic of China was established. The position remained vacant after 1968. The Constitution adopted on 1975, removed the position of the “President of the people’s Republic of China”. In 1982’s Constitution the position of the President has been restored.
Since the beginning of the founding of People’s Republic of China through the year of 1954, there was no special position for the Presidents of the State established in the system of national institutions, the one that execute the power of the President was the Central People’s Government Commission. The president of such Commission led and presided the works of the Central People’s Government Commission and its sessions. However, the president of such Commission was not an independent state organ or the chief of the State. It only served partial works and performed partial duties and functions of the chief of the State.
The people’s Republic of China established the position of the President at the first session National people’s Congress, which was convened on September 1954, and the first socialist constitution was enacted during such meeting. According to such 1954 Constitution, the standing Committee of the National people’s Congress and the President of the people’s Republic of China were established under the National people’s Congress, the Central People’s Government Commission was canceled. The National President became one independent state organ and the chief of the state, and it represents the country.
During the period of 1954 till 1965, China’s presidential system is basically functioning normally. In accordance with the decision of the National people’s Congress and its standing Committee, the President promulgated a large number of laws and decrees, a number of State meetings were held, foreign envoys received and many other related functions were carried out. However, during the year of 1966 till the year of 1975, due to the death Liu Shaoqi, who was the President of the People’s Republic of China at that time, the post of state president has been vacant for a long time.
In 1975, the second written Constitution of the People’s Republic of China was adopted and promulgated, and it formally cancelled the post of the State President.
When the fourth written Constitution was adopted in 1982, the position of the national President of the People’s Republic of China was restored. Besides, there were three amendments to 1982 Constitution, and each amendment insisted on holding the position of the national President, and the State presidency system of the People’s Republic of China is therefore radified.
The President of the People’s Republic of China are elected by the National People’s Congress. All citizens of the People’s Republic of China who have the right to vote, to stand for election, and who have reached the age of 45 are eligible to be chosen as the President of the People’s Republic of China. The terms of office for the President of the People’s Republic of China are the same as those of deputies to the National People’s Congress, which shall be five years.
The President of the People’s Republic of China promulgates laws; appoints or removes the premier, vice-premiers, state councilors, ministers in charge of ministries or commissions, the auditor general and the secretary general; confers state medals and honorary titles; issues special pardon orders; declares states of emergency and war; and issues mobilization orders. The President of the People’s Republic of China represents the People’s Republic of China when conducting national affairs and receiving foreign diplomatic representatives. Pursuant to the decisions of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, the president appoints or recalls plenipotentiary representatives stationed abroad, and ratifies or abrogates treaties or important agreements signed with foreign states.