View source for Paramount leader

{{Short description|Informal term for the heads of state in China}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2023}}
{{Use British English|date=November 2023}}
{{Chinese
| title = 
| name1 = Supreme leader
| s = 最高领导人
| t = {{linktext|最高領導人}}
| p = Zuìgāo Lǐngdǎorén
| l = 
| order = st
| pic = CJCS meets with PRC Counterpart (35794602894).jpg
| caption = [[Xi Jinping]], incumbent since 2012
}}
{{Politics of China |expanded = Leadership }}
'''Paramount leader''' ({{zh|c=最高领导人|p=Zuìgāo Lǐngdǎorén|l=highest leader}}) is an informal term for the most important political figure in the [[China|People's Republic of China]] (PRC). The paramount leader typically controls the [[Chinese Communist Party]] (CCP) and the [[People's Liberation Army]] (PLA), often holding the titles of [[General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party|CCP General Secretary]] and [[Chairman of the Central Military Commission (China)|Chairman of the Central Military Commission]] (CMC).<ref>{{Cite news |date=2022-10-17 |title=China's Communist Party Congress: A really simple guide |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-62970531 |access-date=2022-10-27}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Shepherd |first=Christian |date=October 24, 2022 |title=From Mao to Xi: Power plays in the succession of Chinese leadership |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/10/24/mao-zedong-xi-jinping-china-leaders/ |newspaper=[[Washington Post]]}}</ref><ref name="BBC: How China is ruled">[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/spl/hi/in_depth/china_politics/government/html/4.stm "How China is ruled"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070116014746/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/spl/hi/in_depth/china_politics/government/html/4.stm|date=16 January 2007}}.</ref> The [[List of state representatives of the People's Republic of China|state representative]] ([[President of the People's Republic of China|president]]) or [[head of government]] ([[Premier of the People's Republic of China|premier]]) are not necessarily paramount leader {{Ndash}}under China's [[One-party state|party-state]] system, CCP roles are politically more important than state titles.<ref name="WSJ20191114" />

The paramount leader is not a formal position nor an office unto itself. The term gained prominence during the era of [[Deng Xiaoping]] (1978–1989), when he was able to wield political power without holding any official or formally significant party or government positions at any given time ([[List of state representatives of the People's Republic of China|state representative]], [[List of premiers of the People's Republic of China|head of government]] or [[Leader of the Chinese Communist Party|leader of the CCP]]), but the Chairman of the CCP Central Military Commission (1981–1989).<ref>{{cite book |editor=Zhiyue Bo |title=China's Elite Politics: Political Transition And Power Balancing|date=2007|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vbLICgAAQBAJ&dq=Deng+Xiaoping+was+able+to+wield+political+power&pg=PA7|page=7|publisher=[[World Scientific Publishing Company]]|isbn=9789814476966 }}</ref> As the leader of the world's largest economy by [[List of countries by GDP (PPP)|GDP purchasing power parity (PPP)]], the second-largest economy by [[List of countries by GDP (nominal)|nominal GDP]], and a [[potential superpower]], the paramount leader is considered to be one of the world's most powerful political figures.<ref>{{Cite news |last=McGregor |first=Richard |date=2022-08-21 |title=Xi Jinping's Radical Secrecy |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2022/08/china-xi-jinping-biography-opacity/671195/ |access-date=2022-09-12 |website=[[The Atlantic]] |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Sheridan |first=Michael |title=How Xi Jinping became the world's most powerful man |newspaper=[[The Times]] |language=en |url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/xi-jinping-president-worlds-most-powerful-man-china-2snprgdm5 |access-date=2022-09-12 |issn=0140-0460}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=O'Connor |first=Tom |date=2022-02-03 |title=Xi and Putin, two of world's most powerful men, to meet in China, US absent |url=https://www.newsweek.com/xi-putin-most-powerful-men-meet-china-us-absent-1675570 |access-date=2022-09-12 |website=[[Newsweek]] |language=en}}</ref>

There has been significant overlap between paramount leader status and [[leadership core]] status, with a majority but not all of paramount leaders being also leadership cores, though they are separate concepts. The term has been used less frequently to describe Deng's successors, [[Jiang Zemin]], [[Hu Jintao]] and [[Xi Jinping]], who have all formally held the offices of General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party ([[Leader of the Chinese Communist Party|party leader]]), [[President of the People's Republic of China]] ([[List of state representatives of the People's Republic of China|state representative]]) and Chairman of the Central Military Commission ([[Supreme Military Command of the People's Republic of China|commander-in-chief]]). Jiang, Hu and Xi are therefore usually referred to as president in the international scene, the title used by most other republican heads of state.<ref name="WSJ20191114" /> However, Deng's successors derive their real power from the post of general secretary, which is the [[Orders of precedence in the People's Republic of China|primary position]] in the Chinese power structure<ref>{{cite news|title=Ending Term Limits for China's Xi Is a Big Deal. Here's Why. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/10/world/asia/china-xi-jinping-term-limit-explainer.html |date=10 March 2018|work=[[The New York Times]]|author=Chris Buckley and Adam Wu|quote=Is the presidency powerful in China? In China, the political job that matters most is the general secretary of the Communist Party. The party controls the military and domestic security forces, and sets the policies that the government carries out. China's presidency lacks the authority of the American and French presidencies|access-date=12 March 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180312103512/https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/10/world/asia/china-xi-jinping-term-limit-explainer.html|archive-date=12 March 2018|url-status=live}}.</ref> and generally regarded by scholars as the post whose holder can be considered paramount leader.<ref>{{cite news|title=Xi's here to stay: China leader tipped to outstay term|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/afp-xis-here-to-stay-china-leader-tipped-to-outstay-term-2016-8|work=[[Business Insider]]|date=9 August 2016|quote='A lot of analysts now see it as a given that Xi will seek to stay party general secretary, the country's most powerful post,' said Christopher K. Johnson, a former CIA analyst and now China specialist at the Washington-based [[Center for Strategic and International Studies]].|access-date=23 September 2017}}</ref> The presidency is a [[Figurehead|largely ceremonial office]] according to the [[Constitution of the People's Republic of China|Constitution]],{{NoteTag|The prestigious office of president, first held by [[Mao Zedong]] and then officially translated into English as "chairman", was abolished during the [[Cultural Revolution]]. The [[Constitution of the People's Republic of China|Constitution of 1982]] restored powers and functions of the [[President of the People's Republic of China]] as state representative, and specified that the official translation was "president", even though the Chinese name for the office, {{zh |s=主席 |t=主席 |p=Zhǔxí |labels=no}}, is unchanged and means "chairman" in other contexts, contrasted with {{zh |s=总统 |t=總統 |p=Zǒngtǒng |labels=no}} for the presidents of republics and other countries. This office does not have executive authority comparable to the [[President of the United States]] since most of its powers are ceremonial. The President of China can therefore be compared with the [[President of Germany]] and contrasted with the [[President of India]], who theoretically possesses great executive power exercised in practice by the [[Union Council of Ministers]].<ref>[http://www.kkhsou.in/main/polscience/structure_function.html "Krishna Kanta Handique State Open University"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140502002431/http://www.kkhsou.in/main/polscience/structure_function.html |date=2 May 2014 }}. "Executive: The President of the Chinese Republic".</ref>}} and the most powerful position in the Chinese political system is the CCP general secretary.<ref name="WSJ20191114">{{cite news |title = Stop Calling China's Xi Jinping 'President,' U.S. Panel Says |url = https://www.wsj.com/articles/stop-calling-chinas-xi-jinping-president-u-s-panel-says-11573740000 |date=14 November 2019 |newspaper = [[The Wall Street Journal]] |first1=Kate |last1= O'Keeffe |first2 = Katy Stech |last2 = Ferek |access-date=16 November 2019 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20191115142227/https://www.wsj.com/articles/stop-calling-chinas-xi-jinping-president-u-s-panel-says-11573740000 |archive-date=15 November 2019 |url-status=live }}.</ref> The general secretary has been the [[Order of precedence in China#Order of leaders|highest-ranking official]] in China's [[Politics of China|political system]] since 1982.{{NoteTag|The ''de facto'' leader [[Deng Xiaoping]] was 3rd ranking official in the [[12th Politburo Standing Committee of the Chinese Communist Party|12th Politburo Standing Committee]], and 2nd ranking official in the 13th Central Committee, after General Secretary [[Zhao Ziyang]], but before President [[Yang Shangkun]] and Premier [[Li Peng]]. Deng at the time served as [[Chairman of the Central Military Commission (China)|Chairman of the Central Military Commission]] and was ranked third or second overall in the leadership hierarchy.}}

Xi Jinping is the current paramount leader.<ref>{{Cite news|author-first1=Natalie|author-last1=Liu|title=View China's Xi as Party Leader, Not President, Scholars Say|url=https://www.voanews.com/a/view-china-s-xi-as-party-leader-not-president-scholars-say/6780982.html|work=Voice of America|date=2022-10-07|quote=But Clarke and other scholars make the point that Xi’s real power lies not in his post as president but in his position as general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party.}}</ref> He is considered to have taken on the role in November 2012, when he became CCP general secretary, rather than in March 2013 when he succeeded Hu Jintao as president.<ref>{{Cite news |url = https://multimedia.scmp.com/widgets/china/cpc-primer/ |title = A simple guide to the Chinese government |work = [[South China Morning Post]] |quote = [[Xi Jinping]] is the most powerful figure in the Chinese political system. He is the [[President of the People's Republic of China|President of China]], but his real influence comes from his position as the [[General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party]]. |access-date = 12 May 2018 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180513080847/https://multimedia.scmp.com/widgets/china/cpc-primer/ |archive-date = 13 May 2018 |url-status = live }}</ref>

==History==
Chairman [[Mao Zedong]] was the undisputed ruler of [[History of the People's Republic of China (1949–1976)|Communist China]] from its beginning in 1949 and held three chairman offices at once: [[Chairman of the Chinese Communist Party]], [[Chairman of the Central Military Commission (China)|Chairman of the Central Military Commission]] and [[Chairman of the People's Republic of China]] (1954–59), making him the leader of the party, military and state, respectively. Following the [[Cultural Revolution]], a rough consensus emerged within the party, that the worst excesses were caused by lack of checks and balances in the exercise of political power and the resulting "rule of personality" by Mao.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Baum|first=Richard|title=The Fall and Rise of China}}</ref>

Beginning in the 1980s, the CCP leadership desired to prevent a [[Dictator|single leader]] from rising above the party, as Chairman Mao had done. Accordingly, the post of CCP Chairman was abolished in 1982. Most of its functions were transferred to the revived post of General Secretary.<ref>{{Cite web|title=China - Constitution, Government, Politics|url=https://www.britannica.com/place/China/Constitutional-framework|website=[[Britannica]]|quote=The decision to redefine the position was part of the effort to reduce the chances of any one leader’s again rising to a position above the party, as Mao had done. China’s government still has a chairmanship, but the office has only limited power and is largely ceremonial.}}</ref> The leadership experimented with a quasi-[[separation of powers]], whereby the offices of general secretary, president and premier were held by different people.{{Citation needed|date=August 2022}} In 1985, for example, the CCP General Secretary was [[Hu Yaobang]], the [[President of the People's Republic of China|Chinese President]] was [[Li Xiannian]] and the [[Premier of the People's Republic of China|Chinese Premier]] was [[Zhao Ziyang]]. However, Deng Xiaoping was still recognized as the [[Leadership core|core of the leadership]]. Both Hu and Zhao fell out of favour in the late 1980s, but Deng was able to retain ultimate political control.{{Citation needed|date=November 2021}}

In a discussion with Central Committee members in the lead-up 4th Plenum of the Thirteenth Central Committee (Jun. 23-24 1989), Deng Xiaoping introduced the concept of the "Core Leader". In his analysis, despite the existence of figures like [[Chen Duxiu]], [[Qu Qiubai]], [[Xiang Zhongfa]], [[Li Lisan]], and [[Wang Ming]], the Party did not have a proper "Core Leader" until the ascent of Mao Zedong at the [[Zunyi Conference]] of 1935. Mao's election ushered in the "First Generation" of CCP leadership. As for the second generation, Deng conceded that in retrospect, he had himself been the "Core", but that he had been constantly planning for the transition to a third generation. For this purpose, he encouraged his audience to rally around Jiang Zemin as the core of the "Third Generation".<ref>Deng, Xiaoping. ''Selected Works of Deng Xiaoping'', vol. 3 [Chinese edition] 邓小平文集·第三卷, pp. 309-314. People's Publishing House, 1993.</ref> Despite Deng not formally relinquishing the position of Chairman of the Central Military Commission until the 5th Plenum (Nov. 6-9 1989), official histories published by the CCP regard this endorsement, at the 4th Plenum, as the transition from the Deng administration to the Jiang administration.{{cn|date=May 2023}}

The paramount leader label has been applied to Deng's successors, Jiang Zemin and Hu Jintao, though it is generally recognized that they did not wield as much power as Deng despite their having held more offices of leadership. There has been a greater emphasis on [[collective leadership]], whereby the top leader is a [[first among equals]] style figure, exercising power with the consensus of the [[Politburo Standing Committee of the Chinese Communist Party|CCP Politburo Standing Committee]].<ref name="BBC: How China is ruled" /> This was particularly apparent during the tenure of Hu Jintao.{{NoteTag|In official pronouncements when describing the existing leadership of the party, state media referred to the party under Hu as the "party center with comrade Hu Jintao as General Secretary" in contrast to the party under Jiang being described as the "party center with comrade Jiang Zemin as its core (核心)". Some analysts saw this change as a signal that collective leadership was being embraced over personal leadership.}} Beginning in 1993, Jiang formally held the three offices that made him the head of the party, state, and military:
*General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party: the [[party leader]] and the [[Orders of precedence in China|primary position]] of the state.
*Chairman of the Central Military Commission: [[Supreme Military Command of the People's Republic of China|Supreme Military Command]] of the [[People's Liberation Army]].
*President of the People's Republic of China: the largely [[Figurehead|ceremonial state representative]] under the [[1982 Constitution of the People's Republic of China|1982 Constitution]].<ref>[http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/constitution/constitution.html "Section 2, Article 80–81"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100812224210/http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/constitution/constitution.html |date=12 August 2010 }}.</ref>

When Jiang left the offices of General Secretary and President in 2002 and 2003, respectively, he held onto the position of Chairman of the Central Military Commission. Military power had always been an important facet in the exercise of political power in [[History of the People's Republic of China|Communist-ruled China]] and as such holding the top military post meant Jiang retained some formal power. When Jiang stepped down from his formal posts between 2002 and 2004, it was ambiguous who the paramount leader was. Hu Jintao held the same trio of positions during his years in power. Hu transferred all three positions onto his successor Xi Jinping between November 2012, when Xi became CCP General Secretary and Chairman of the Central Military Commission; and March 2013, when Xi became president. Since Xi's ascendance to power, two new bodies, the [[National Security Commission of the Chinese Communist Party|National Security Commission]] and [[Central Comprehensively Deepening Reforms Commission]], have been established, ostensibly concentrating political power in the paramount leader to a greater degree than anyone since Deng.<ref name=xi>{{cite news |title=习近平频现身成常态 将回归"领导核心"？ |url=http://china.dwnews.com/news/2014-01-07/59365920.html |website=[[Duowei News]] |date=7 January 2014 |access-date=5 August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140812101411/http://china.dwnews.com/news/2014-01-07/59365920.html |archive-date=12 August 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref> These bodies were tasked with establishing the general policy direction for national security, as well as economic reform. Both groups are headed by the General Secretary.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://multimedia.scmp.com/widgets/china/govt-explainer/index.html|title=How the Chinese government works|work=[[South China Morning Post]]|quote=[[Xi Jinping]] is the most powerful figure in China's political system, and his influence mainly comes from his position as the [[General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party]]|access-date=12 May 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180512112538/https://multimedia.scmp.com/widgets/china/govt-explainer/index.html|archive-date=12 May 2018|url-status=live}}.</ref>

==List of paramount leaders==
{{See also|Generations of Chinese leadership}}
:Bold offices refer to the highest position in the [[Chinese Communist Party]].
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! Picture
! Name
! Period
! Ideology<br />{{small|([[Generations of Chinese leadership|Generation]])}}
! [[Leader of the Chinese Communist Party|CCP leaders]]
! [[President of the People's Republic of China|Presidents]]
! [[Premier of the People's Republic of China|Premiers]]
! colspan=2| Offices held
|-
| rowspan=7| [[File:Mao Tse Tung (cropped).jpg|100px]]
| rowspan=7| '''[[Mao Zedong]]'''<br />{{lang|zh|毛泽东}}<br />(1893–1976)
| rowspan=7| 1 October 1949<br/>↓<br/>9 September 1976<br/>({{age in years and days|1949|10|1|1976|9|9}})
| rowspan=7| [[Maoism|Mao Zedong Thought]]<br />([[Maoist China|First]])
| rowspan=7| ''Himself''
| rowspan=7| ''Himself''<br/>[[Liu Shaoqi]]<br/>''Post abolished''
| rowspan=7| [[Zhou Enlai]]<br/>[[Hua Guofeng]]

| align=left| '''[[Chairman of the Chinese Communist Party|Chairman]] of the [[Chinese Communist Party|CCP]] [[Politburo Standing Committee of the Chinese Communist Party|Central Politburo]]'''
| rowspan=2| 20 March 1943 – 28 September 1956
|-
| align=left| [[Chairman of the Chinese Communist Party|Chairman]] of the CCP [[Secretariat of the Chinese Communist Party|Central Secretariat]]
|-
| align=left| '''[[Chairman of the Chinese Communist Party|Chairman]] of the CCP [[Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party|Central Committee]]'''
| 19 June 1945 – 9 September 1976
|-
| align=left| Chairman of the PRC [[Central People's Government of the People's Republic of China|Central People's Government]]
| 1 October 1949 – 27 September 1954
|-
| align=left| Chairman of the [[Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference|CPPCC]] [[National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference|National Committee]]
| 9 October 1949 – 25 December 1954
|-
| align=left| [[Chairman of the Central Military Commission (China)|Chairman]] of the CCP [[Central Military Commission (China)|Central Military Commission]]
| 8 September 1954 – 9 September 1976
|-
| align=left| [[President of the People's Republic of China|Chairman]] of the [[China|PRC]]
| 27 September 1954 – 27 April 1959
|-
| rowspan=4| [[File:Musée de Bretagne - Hua Guofeng 197904-02 (cropped).jpg|100px]]
| rowspan=4| '''[[Hua Guofeng]]'''<br />{{lang|zh|华国锋}}<br />(1921–2008)
| rowspan=4| 9 September 1976<br/>↓<br/>22 December 1978<br/>({{age in years and days|1976|9|9|1978|12|22}})
| rowspan=4| [[Two Whatevers]]<br />([[Maoist China|First]])
| rowspan=4| ''Himself''
| rowspan=4| ''Post abolished''
| rowspan=4| ''Himself''
| align=left| [[Premier of the State Council of the People's Republic of China|Premier]] of the PRC [[State Council of the People's Republic of China|State Council]]
| 4 February 1976 – 10 September 1980
|-
| align=left| First [[Vice Chairman of the Chinese Communist Party|Vice Chairman]] of the CCP [[Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party|Central Committee]]
| 7 April 1976 – 7 October 1976
|-
| align=left| '''[[Chairman of the Chinese Communist Party|Chairman]] of the CCP [[Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party|Central Committee]]'''
| rowspan=2 | 7 October 1976 – 28 June 1981
|-
| align=left| [[Chairman of the Central Military Commission (China)|Chairman]] of the CCP [[Central Military Commission (China)|Central Military Commission]]
|-
| rowspan=5| [[File:Deng Xiaoping 2 (cropped).jpg|100px]]
| rowspan=5| '''[[Deng Xiaoping]]'''<br />{{lang|zh|邓小平}}<br />(1904–1997)
| rowspan=5| 22 December 1978<br/>↓<br/>24 June 1989<br/>({{age in years and days|1978|12|22|1989|6|24}})<ref>"Verdict of the Central Committee on the Major Accomplishments and Historical Experience of the Communist Party during the Past 100 Years". ''Zhonggong Zhongyang Guanyu Dang de Bainian Fendou Zhongda Chengjiu he Lishi Jingyan de Jueyi'' 中共中央关于党的百年奋斗重大成就和历史经验的决议. People's Publishing House, 2021.</ref>
| rowspan=5| [[Deng Xiaoping Theory]]<br/>([[Dengist China|Second]])
| rowspan=5| Hua Guofeng<br/>[[Hu Yaobang]]<br/>[[Zhao Ziyang]]<br/>[[Jiang Zemin]]
| rowspan=5| ''Post abolished''<br/>[[Li Xiannian]]<br/>[[Yang Shangkun]]
| rowspan=5| Hua Guofeng<br/>Zhao Ziyang<br/>[[Li Peng]]
| align=left| First [[Vice Premier of the State Council of the People's Republic of China|Vice Premier]] of the PRC [[State Council of the People's Republic of China|State Council]]
| 17 January 1975 – 18 June 1983
|-
| align=left| Chairman of the [[Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference|CPPCC]] National Committee
| 8 March 1978 – 17 June 1983
|-
| align=left| '''[[Chairman of the Central Military Commission (China)|Chairman]]''' of the CCP '''[[Central Military Commission (China)|Central Military Commission]]'''
| 28 June 1981 – 9 November 1989
|-
| align=left| Chairman of the CCP [[Central Advisory Commission]]
| 13 September 1982 – 2 November 1987
|-
| align=left| '''Chairman''' of the PRC '''[[Central Military Commission (China)|Central Military Commission]]'''
| 6 June 1983 – 19 March 1990
|-
| rowspan=4| [[File:Jiang Zemin 2002.jpg|100px]]
| rowspan=4| '''[[Jiang Zemin]]'''<br />{{lang|zh|江泽民}}<br />(1926–2022)
| rowspan=4| 24 June 1989<br/>↓<br/>15 November 2002<br/>({{age in years and days|1989|6|24|2002|11|15}})<ref>"Verdict of the Central Committee on the Major Accomplishments and Historical Experience of the Communist Party during the Past 100 Years". ''Zhonggong Zhongyang Guanyu Dang de Bainian Fendou Zhongda Chengjiu he Lishi Jingyan de Jueyi'' 中共中央关于党的百年奋斗重大成就和历史经验的决议. People's Publishing House, 2021.</ref>
| rowspan=4| [[Three Represents]]<br />([[History of the People's Republic of China (1989–2002)|Third]])
| rowspan=4| ''Himself''
| rowspan=4| Yang Shangkun<br/>''Himself''
| rowspan=4| Li Peng<br/>[[Zhu Rongji]]
| align=left| '''[[General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party|General Secretary]] of the CCP [[Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party|Central Committee]]'''
| 24 June 1989 – 15 November 2002
|-
| align=left| [[Chairman of the Central Military Commission (China)|Chairman]] of the CCP [[Central Military Commission (China)|Central Military Commission]]
| 9 November 1989 – 19 September 2004
|-
| align=left| [[Chairman of the Central Military Commission (China)|Chairman]] of the PRC [[Central Military Commission (China)|Central Military Commission]]
| 19 March 1990 – 13 March 2005
|-
| align=left| [[President of the People's Republic of China|President]] of the [[China|PRC]]
| 27 March 1993 – 15 March 2003
|-
| rowspan=4| [[File:Hu Jintao at White House 2011.jpg|100px]]
| rowspan=4| '''[[Hu Jintao]]'''<br />{{lang|zh|胡锦涛}}<br />(born 1942)
| rowspan=4| 15 November 2002<br/>↓<br/>15 November 2012<br/>({{age in years|2002|11|15|2012|11|15}} years)
| rowspan=4| [[Scientific Outlook on Development]]<br/>([[Hu–Wen Administration|Fourth]])
| rowspan=4 colspan=2 | ''Himself''
| rowspan=4 | [[Wen Jiabao]]
| align=left| '''[[General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party|General Secretary]] of the CCP [[Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party|Central Committee]]'''
| 15 November 2002 – 15 November 2012
|-
| align=left| [[President of the People's Republic of China|President]] of the [[China|PRC]]
| 15 March 2003 – 14 March 2013
|-
| align=left| [[Chairman of the Central Military Commission (China)|Chairman]] of the CCP [[Central Military Commission (China)|Central Military Commission]]
| 19 September 2004 – 15 November 2012
|-
| align=left| [[Chairman of the Central Military Commission (China)|Chairman]] of the PRC [[Central Military Commission (China)|Central Military Commission]]
| 13 March 2005 – 14 March 2013
|-
| rowspan="4" | [[File:Xi Jinping 2025 (cropped).jpg|100px]]
| rowspan="4" | '''[[Xi Jinping]]'''<br />{{lang|zh|习近平}}<br/>(born 1953)
| rowspan="4" | 15 November 2012<br/>↓<br/>Incumbent<br/>({{age in years and days|2012|11|15}})
| rowspan="4" | [[Xi Jinping Thought]]<br/>([[China under Xi Jinping|Fifth]])
| colspan="2" rowspan="4" | ''Himself''
| rowspan="4" | [[Li Keqiang]]<br />[[Li Qiang]]
| align=left| '''[[General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party|General Secretary]] of the CCP [[Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party|Central Committee]]'''
| rowspan=2 | 15 November 2012 – Incumbent
|-
| align=left| [[Chairman of the Central Military Commission (China)|Chairman]] of the CCP [[Central Military Commission (China)|Central Military Commission]]
|-
| align=left| [[President of the People's Republic of China|President]] of the [[China|PRC]]
| rowspan=2| 14 March 2013 – Incumbent
|-
| align=left| [[Chairman of the Central Military Commission (China)|Chairman]] of the PRC [[Central Military Commission (China)|Central Military Commission]]
|}

==List of spouses of the paramount leaders / First Ladies of China==
All six leaders have had a spouse during their terms in office. The current First Lady is [[Peng Liyuan]], wife of General Secretary Xi Jinping.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! Picture
! Name
! Leader
! Tenure
|-
| [[File:Jiang qing yanan 001.JPG|100px]]
| [[Jiang Qing]]<br />{{lang|zh|江青}}<br />(1914–1991)
| [[Mao Zedong]]
| 1 October 1949 – 9 September 1976
|-
| [[File:Han Zhijun.jpg|100px]]
| [[Han Zhijun]]<br />{{lang|zh|韩芝俊}}<br />(born 1930)
| [[Hua Guofeng]]
| 9 September 1976 – 22 December 1978
|-
| [[File:Madame Zhuo Lin at an arrival ceremony for the Vice Premier of China. - NARA - 183167 (cropped).jpg|100px]]
| [[Zhuo Lin]]<br />{{lang|zh|卓琳}}<br />(1916–2009)
| [[Deng Xiaoping]]
| 22 December 1978 – 9 November 1989
|-
| [[File:Wang Yeping.jpg|100px]]
| [[Wang Yeping]]<br />{{lang|zh|王冶坪}}<br />(born 1928)
| [[Jiang Zemin]]
| 9 November 1989 – 15 November 2002
|-
| [[File:Liu Yongqing (5183941575) (cropped).jpg|100px]]
| [[Liu Yongqing]]<br />{{lang|zh|刘永清}}<br />(born 1940)
| [[Hu Jintao]]
| 15 November 2002 – 15 November 2012
|-
| [[File:Peng Liyuan C.jpg|100px]]
| [[Peng Liyuan]]<br />{{lang|zh|彭丽媛}}<br />(born 1962)
| [[Xi Jinping]]
| 15 November 2012 – Incumbent
|}

==See also==
{{Portal|China|Politics|Communism}}
*[[List of Chinese leaders]]
*[[Leader of the Chinese Communist Party]]
*[[Order of precedence in China]]
*[[Great Leader (disambiguation)|Great Leader]]
*''[[Primus inter pares]]''

==Explanatory notes==
{{NoteFoot}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Leaders of the People's Republic of China}}
{{Heads of state and government of Asia}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Paramount Leader}}
[[Category:General secretaries and Chairmen of the Chinese Communist Party| ]]
[[Category:Organization of the Chinese Communist Party]]
[[Category:Politics of China]]
[[Category:Chinese heads of state]]
[[Category:Positions of authority]]
[[Category:Communist terminology]]
[[Category:Lists of office-holders]]