POLITICAL SYSTEM
General Information
The People's Republic of China is a socialist state.
The supreme body of state power is the National People's Congress (NPC).
Supreme leadership – Chairman of the PRC – Xi Jinping (took office on March 14, 2013, re-elected during elections in 2023).
Premier of the State Council of the PRC – Li Qiang.
State power is divided into legislative, executive, and judicial branches. Power belongs to the people, and the Communist Party of China leads the country. A system functions in which the CPC plays a leading role in the political structure of the state.
In 2025, China actively participates in international meetings and negotiations, including summit meetings with leaders of other states.
Constitutional System
A unitary state, comprising 23 provinces, 5 autonomous regions, 4 centrally administered cities, and 2 special administrative regions.
The current Constitution was adopted following a general referendum on December 4, 1982, supplemented by amendments approved in 1988, 1993, 1999, 2004, and 2018.
The supreme body of executive power in China is the State Council of the PRC, which also performs the functions of the Central Government. The State Council brings into legal force laws and regulations that were developed by the National People's Congress (NPC). In addition, the State Council formulates administrative-legal acts, issues resolutions and various directives.
The supreme body of legislative power is the NPC. It consists of deputies elected from provinces, autonomous regions, centrally administered cities, and the armed forces. The NPC makes amendments to the Constitution and monitors its implementation, adopts the criminal and civil codes of the PRC, laws on state structure, directs the election and removal of the Chairman of the PRC and his deputy, the Chairman of the Central Military Commission of the PRC, the President of the Supreme People's Court of the PRC, and the Procurator-General of the Supreme People's Procuratorate of the PRC. In addition, the NPC approves the formation of provinces, autonomous regions, and centrally administered cities. It decides issues of war and peace.
Along with the NPC, legislative functions are performed by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (SC NPC). The SC NPC operates on a permanent basis. The Council handles the current work of the SC NPC (making decisions on the timing of SC NPC sessions and preparing draft session agendas, introducing amendments to draft laws, directing special committees, etc.).
The supreme judicial body is the Supreme People's Court of the PRC. It supervises the administration of justice by local people's courts of various levels and special people's courts. People's courts of the higher level supervise the administration of justice by courts of the lower level.
Labor Relations
Labor relations in China are regulated by a number of regulatory acts, namely: the Constitution, the laws "On Labor" of 1994, "On Civil Servants" of 2005, "On Labor Contract" of 2007, "On Mediation and Arbitration of Labor Disputes" of 2008, the law "On Social Insurance" of 2010, etc.
There is no unified minimum wage in the country, as each province or city must determine the level of minimum wage for its citizens depending on the general standard of living in a given territory.
As of 2025, China has ratified 26 conventions of the International Labour Organization.
Trade Unions
Workers of Chinese enterprises, in accordance with the law "On Trade Union Activities", have the right to organize a basic or primary trade union organization. At the same time, the country has one universal national trade union – the All-China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU). The ACFTU includes more than 1,7 mil. primary trade union organizations.
Chinese trade unions are the most numerous trade unions in the world. As of 2025, the ACFTU includes more than 302 mil. people.