List of presidents of China

This is a list of the heads of state of the Republic of China (ROC) since 1912 and the state representatives of the People's Republic of China (PRC) since 1949.

List of presidents of the Republic (since 1912)

This is a list of the presidents of the Republic of China (ROC) (1912–present). The Republic of China president is called 總統 (Zǒngtǒng, "President"), and from 1912–1928, 大總統 (Dàzǒngtǒng, "Grand President").

Since 1949, the de facto territory of the ROC is reduced to Taiwan and its surrounding islands, the former previously ruled by Japan from 1895 to 1945, no longer governing mainland China. It continued to represent China in the United Nations until it was expelled on 25 October 1971 and diplomatically by the United States government until 1 January 1979. The President of the ROC is also known as the President of Taiwan due to the territory it governs.

All the names on this list follow the Oriental convention with the family name first and given name second.

Provisional Government: Template:Legend2 Template:Legend2
Beiyang Government: Template:Legend2 Template:Legend2 Template:Legend2
Nationalist to Constitutional Government: Template:Legend2 Template:Legend2

Presidents of the Provisional Government
No.	Portrait	Name Template:Small	Term of office		Political party	Vice President		Assembly (elected)
1		Sun Yat-sen Template:Large Template:Small	1 January 1912	10 March 1912	Tongmenghui	bgcolor="Template:Party color" |	Li Yuanhong Template:Small	Provisional (1911)
2		Yuan Shikai Template:Large Template:Small	10 March 1912	10 October 1913	Beiyang clique	bgcolor="Template:Party color" |	Li Yuanhong Template:Small	Provisional (1912)
Presidents of the Beiyang Government
No.	Portrait	Name Template:Small	Term of office		Political party	Vice President		Assembly (elected)
1		Yuan Shikai Template:Large Template:Small	10 October 1913	6 June 1916<ref group="note" name="A">Proclaimed a new empire from 12 December 1915 to 22 March 1916.</ref><ref group="note" name="DiO">Died in office.</ref>	Beiyang clique		Li Yuanhong Template:Small	1st (1913)
2		Li Yuanhong Template:Large Template:Small	7 June 1916	17 July 1917<ref group="note" name="B">Zhang Xun restored Qing Empire from 1 July to 12 July in 1917.</ref><ref group="note" name="FO">Forced out of office.</ref>	Progressive Party		Feng Guozhang Template:Small
—		Feng Guozhang Template:Large Template:Small (acting)<ref group="note" name="VP">As Vice President.</ref>	17 July 1917	10 October 1918	Zhili clique	Vacant
3		Xu Shichang Template:Large Template:Small	10 October 1918	2 June 1922<ref group="note" name="FO" />	Anhui clique	Vacant		2nd (1918)
—		Zhou Ziqi Template:Large Template:Small (acting)<ref group="note" name="AP">As Acting Premier.</ref>	2 June 1922	11 June 1922	Communications Clique	Vacant
(2)		Li Yuanhong Template:Large Template:Small	11 June 1922	13 June 1923<ref group="note" name="FO" />	Research Clique	Vacant
—		Gao Lingwei Template:Large Template:Small (acting)<ref group="note" name="P">As Premier.</ref>	14 June 1923	10 October 1923	Zhili clique	Vacant
4		Cao Kun Template:Large Template:Small	10 October 1923	2 November 1924<ref group="note" name="FO" />	Zhili clique	Vacant		1923
style="background:Template:Party color; color:black;"| —		Huang Fu Template:Large Template:Small (acting)<ref group="note" name="AP" />	2 November 1924	24 November 1924	Nonpartisan	Vacant
5		Duan Qirui<ref group="note" name="C">Provisional Chief Executive instead of President.</ref> Template:Large Template:Small	24 November 1924	20 April 1926<ref group="note" name="FO" />	Anhui clique	Vacant
								Vacant
—		Hu Weide<ref group="note" name="AC">Acting Provisional Chief Executive instead of Acting President.</ref> Template:Large Template:Small (acting)<ref group="note" name="AP" />	20 April 1926	13 May 1926	Zhili clique	Vacant
style="background:Template:Party color; color:black;"| —		[[Yan Huiqing|Yan Huiqing Template:Small]] Template:Large Template:Small (acting)<ref group="note" name="P" />	13 May 1926	22 June 1926	Nonpartisan	Vacant
—		Du Xigui Template:Large Template:Small (acting)<ref group="note" name="AP" />	22 June 1926	1 October 1926	Zhili clique	Vacant
style="background:Template:Party color; color:black;"| —		V.K. Wellington Koo Template:Large Template:Small (acting)<ref group="note" name="P" />	1 October 1926	17 June 1927<ref group="note" name="F">Resigned.</ref>	Nonpartisan	Vacant
6		Zhang Zuolin<ref group="note" name="D">Zhang was the Generalissimo of the Beiyang Military Government instead of President.</ref> Template:Large Template:Small	18 June 1927	4 June 1928<ref group="note" name="AS">Assassinated.</ref>	Fengtian clique	Vacant
Chairmen of the Nationalist Government
No.	Portrait	Name<ref group="note" name="E">The Chairman of the Nationalist Government (國民政府) was the head of state in this period (political tutelage; 訓政時期). There was no office of Vice Chairman.</ref> Template:Small	Term of office		Political party	Assembly (elected)
style="background:Template:Party color; color:white;"| —	File:Tan Yankai.jpg	Tan Yankai Template:Large Template:Small	7 February 1928	10 October 1928	Kuomintang	bgcolor="Template:Party color" |	2nd National Congress of Kuomintang (4th plenum)
style="background:Template:Party color; color:white;"| —	File:Chiang 1.jpg	Chiang Kai-shek Template:Large Template:Small	10 October 1928	15 December 1931<ref group="note" name="F" />	Kuomintang	rowspan=2 bgcolor="Template:Party color" |	2nd National Congress of Kuomintang (5th plenum)
rowspan=2 style="background:Template:Party color; color:white;"| —	File:Lin Sen (9to12).jpg	Lin Sen Template:Large Template:Small	15 December 1931<ref group="note" name="G">Assumed office as acting chairman from 15 December 1931 to 1 January 1932.</ref>	1 August 1943<ref group="note" name=DiO />	Kuomintang
rowspan=2 bgcolor="Template:Party color" |						4th National Congress of Kuomintang (1st plenum)
rowspan=2 style="background:Template:Party color; color:white;"| —	File:Chiang Kai-shek enhanced.jpg	Chiang Kai-shek Template:Large Template:Small	1 August 1943<ref group="note" name="H">Assumed office as acting chairman from 1 June to 1o October 1943.</ref>	20 May 1948	Kuomintang
bgcolor="Template:Party color" |						5th National Congress of Kuomintang (11th plenum)
Presidents after the 1947 Constitution
No.	Portrait	Name Template:Small	Term of office		Political party	Vice President		Term (elected)
style="background:Template:Party color; color:white;"| 1	File:蔣中正總統玉照.png	Chiang Kai-shek Template:Large Template:Small	20 May 1948	21 January 1949<ref group="note" name="I">Declared incapacity.</ref>	Kuomintang	bgcolor="Template:Party color" |	Li Zongren Template:Small	1 (1948)
style="background:Template:Party color; color:white;"| —	File:李宗仁戎裝照(cropped).jpg	Li Zongren Template:Large Template:Small	21 January 1949	20 November 1949	Kuomintang	Vacant
style="background:Template:Party color; color:white;"| —	File:Yan Xishan.jpg	Yan Xishan Template:Large Template:Small	20 November 1949	1 March 1950	Kuomintang	Vacant
rowspan=7 style="background:Template:Party color; color:white;"| (1)	File:蔣中正總統玉照.png	Chiang Kai-shek Template:Large Template:Small	1 March 1950	5 April 1975<ref group="note" name=DiO />	Kuomintang	bgcolor="Template:Party color" |	Li Zongren<ref group="note" name="M">Vice-President from 1948 to 1954; impeached and recalled in 1954.</ref> Template:Small
Vacant
rowspan=2 bgcolor="Template:Party color" |	Template:Nowrap Template:Small					2 (1954)
3 (1960)
	Vacant
rowspan=2 bgcolor="Template:Party color" |	Yen Chia-kan Template:Small	4 (1966)
5 (1972)
	style="background:Template:Party color; color:white;"| 2	File:President03-large.png	Yen Chia-kan Template:Small Template:Large Template:Small	5 April 1975	20 May 1978	Kuomintang	Vacant
rowspan=2 style="background:Template:Party color; color:white;"| 3	File:第7任總統蔣經國先生玉照.jpg	Chiang Ching-kuo Template:Large Template:Small	20 May 1978	13 January 1988<ref group="note" name=DiO />	Kuomintang	bgcolor="Template:Party color" |	Hsieh Tung-min Template:Small	6 (1978)
bgcolor="Template:Party color" |						Lee Teng-hui Template:Small	7 (1984)
rowspan=3 style="background:Template:Party color; color:white;"| 4	File:Lee Teng-hui (president 5 cropped).jpg	Lee Teng-hui Template:Large Template:Small	13 January 1988	20 May 2000	Kuomintang	Vacant
bgcolor="Template:Party color" |						Lee Yuan-tsu Template:Small	8 (1990)
bgcolor="Template:Party color" |						Lien Chan Template:Small	9 (1996)
rowspan=2 style="background:Template:Party color; color:white;"| 5	File:總統陳水扁先生玉照 (國民大會實錄).jpg	Chen Shui-bian Template:Large Template:Small	20 May 2000	20 May 2008	Democratic Progressive	rowspan=2 bgcolor="Template:Party color" |	Annette Lu Template:Small	10 (2000)
11 (2004)
rowspan=2 style="background:Template:Party color; color:white;"| 6	File:中華民國第12、13任總統馬英九先生官方肖像照.jpg	Ma Ying-jeou Template:Large Template:Small	20 May 2008	20 May 2016	Kuomintang	bgcolor="Template:Party color" |	Vincent Siew Template:Small	12 (2008)
bgcolor="Template:Party color" |						Wu Den-yih Template:Small	13 (2012)
rowspan=2 style="background:Template:Party color; color:white;"| 7	File:蔡英文官方元首肖像照 (cropped).png	Tsai Ing-wen Template:Large Template:Small	20 May 2016	20 May 2024	Democratic Progressive	bgcolor="Template:Party color" |	Chen Chien-jen Template:Small	14 (2016)
bgcolor="Template:Party color" |						William Lai Template:Small	15 (2020)
style="background:Template:Party color; color:white;"| [[Presidency of Lai Ching-te|Template:White]]	File:賴清德總統 (cropped).jpg	Lai Ching-te Template:Large Template:Small	20 May 2024	Incumbent	Democratic Progressive	bgcolor="Template:Party color" |	Hsiao Bi-khim Template:Small	16 (2024)

List of presidents of the People's Republic (since 1949)

This is a list of all the chairmen of the People's Republic of China (1954–1975) and the presidents of the People's Republic of China (1982–present). The President of the PRC is called 主席 (zhǔxí), formerly translated as Chairman. The presidency was abolished between 1975 and 1982 with the functions of state representative being performed by the chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress.

To avoid confusion, all the names on this list follow the Oriental convention (family name first, given name second) for consistency.

Generations of leadership

Central People's Government under the Common Program (1949–1954)

Chairman of the Central People's Government

• Mao Zedong (1 October 1949 – 27 September 1954)

The 1st Constitution (1954–1975)

Chairman/Chairwoman of the People's Republic China

Portrait		Name Template:Small		Term of office		NPC	Vice Chairman	Paramount leader
1	File:Mao Tsé-toung, portrait en buste, assis, faisant face à Nikita Khrouchtchev, pendant la visite du chef russe 1958 à Pékin (Mao Zedong).jpg	Mao Zedong Template:Large Template:Small		Template:Small 1954	Template:Small 1959	I	Zhu De	Himself
				Template:Small
2		Liu Shaoqi Template:Large Template:Small		Template:Small 1959	Template:Small 1964	II	Soong Ching-ling & Dong Biwu (co-serving)	Mao Zedong
				Template:Small 1964	Template:Small 1968	III
				Template:Small
–	File:Soong Ching-ling 1937.jpgFile:DONGBIWU.JPG	Soong Ching-ling Template:Large Template:Small	Dong Biwu Template:Large Template:Small	Template:Small 1968	Template:Small 1972 Template:Small Template:Small 1975 Template:Small	III	Vacancy by ascension	Mao Zedong
				Template:Small

The 2nd Constitution (1975–1978)

Chairman/Chairwoman of the Standing Committee of the 4th National People's Congress

1. Zhu De (17 January 1975 – 6 July 1976) died in office
2. Soong Ching-ling (6 July 1976 – 5 March 1978) acting
3. Ye Jianying (5 March 1978 – 5 March 1978)

The 3rd Constitution (1978–1982)

Chairman of the Standing Committee of the 5th National People's Congress

• Ye Jianying (5 March 1978 – 18 June 1983)

Honorary President of the People's Republic of China

Portrait		Name Template:Small	Term of office		NPC	Vice President	Paramount leader
–	File:Soong Ching-ling 1937.jpg	Soong Ching-ling Template:Large Template:Small	Template:Small 1981	Template:Small 1981	V	–	Deng Xiaoping
			Template:Small

The 4th Constitution (1982–present)

President of the People's Republic China

Portrait		Name Template:Small	Term of office		NPC	Vice President	Paramount leader
3	File:Li Xiannian - 1974.jpg	Li Xiannian Template:Large Template:Small	18 June 1983	8 April 1988	VI	Ulanhu	Deng Xiaoping
			Template:Small
4	File:YangShangkun1958.png	Yang Shangkun Template:Large Template:Small	8 April 1988	27 March 1993	VII	Wang Zhen	Deng Xiaoping Jiang Zemin
			Template:Small
5	File:Jiang Zemin 2002.jpg	Jiang Zemin Template:Large Template:Small	27 March 1993	15 March 1998	VIII	Rong Yiren	Himself
			15 March 1998	15 March 2003	IX	Hu Jintao
			Template:Small
6	File:Hu Jintao Cannes2011.jpg	Hu Jintao Template:Large Template:Small	15 March 2003	15 March 2008	X	Zeng Qinghong	Himself
			15 March 2008	14 March 2013	XI	Xi Jinping
			Template:Small
7	File:Vladimir Putin met with Xi Jinping in advance of 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics (1) (cropped).jpg	Xi Jinping Template:Large Template:Small	14 March 2013	17 March 2018	XII	Li Yuanchao	Himself
			17 March 2018	10 March 2023	XIII	Wang Qishan
			10 March 2023	Incumbent	XIV	Han Zheng
			Template:Small