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Xuanjuquan China
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✶ 1921 → 2026

A century
of congresses.

Twenty national congresses of the Communist Party since 1921, fourteen National People's Congresses since 1954, and three lines of succession: the Party's leader, the head of state, and the premier.

Who led, 1921–2026

19301950197019902010 1th Party Congress2th Party Congress3th Party Congress4th Party Congress5th Party Congress6th Party Congress7th Party Congress8th Party Congress9th Party Congress10th Party Congress11th Party Congress12th Party Congress13th Party Congress14th Party Congress15th Party Congress16th Party Congress17th Party Congress18th Party Congress19th Party Congress20th Party Congress Party leader Chen Duxiu: 1921 – 1927 Qu Qiubai: 1927 – 1928 Xiang Zhongfa: 1928 – 1931 Wang Ming: 1931 – 1931 Bo Gu: 1931 – 1935 Zhang Wentian: 1935 – 1943 Zhang Wentian Mao Zedong: 1943 – 1976 Mao Zedong Hua Guofeng: 1976 – 1981 Hu Yaobang: 1981 – 1987 Zhao Ziyang: 1987 – 1989 Jiang Zemin: 1989 – 2002 Jiang Zemin Hu Jintao: 2002 – 2012 Hu Jintao Xi Jinping: 2012 – present Xi Jinping Head of state Mao Zedong: 1949-10-01 – 1954-09-27 Mao Zedong: 1954-09-27 – 1959-04-27 Liu Shaoqi: 1959-04-27 – 1968-10-31 Liu Shaoqi Soong Ching-ling & Dong Biwu: 1968-10-31 – 1975-01-17 Zhu De / Soong Ching-ling (acting) / Ye Jianying: 1975-01-17 – 1983-06-18 Zhu De Li Xiannian: 1983-06-18 – 1988-04-08 Yang Shangkun: 1988-04-08 – 1993-03-27 Jiang Zemin: 1993-03-27 – 2003-03-15 Jiang Zemin Hu Jintao: 2003-03-15 – 2013-03-14 Hu Jintao Xi Jinping: 2013-03-14 – present Xi Jinping Premier Zhou Enlai: 1949-10-01 – 1976-01-08 Zhou Enlai Hua Guofeng: 1976-02-04 – 1980-09-10 Zhao Ziyang: 1980-09-10 – 1987-11-24 Zhao Ziyang Li Peng: 1987-11-24 – 1998-03-17 Li Peng Zhu Rongji: 1998-03-17 – 2003-03-16 Wen Jiabao: 2003-03-16 – 2013-03-15 Wen Jiabao Li Keqiang: 2013-03-15 – 2023-03-11 Li Keqiang Li Qiang: 2023-03-11 – present

Dots: Party congresses. Hover for names and dates. The head of state lane starts in 1949; from 1975 to 1983 there was no state president and the NPC Standing Committee chair served as head of state. Leaders and dates: Wikipedia (secondary).

Fourteen National People's Congresses

Nearly three thousand,
and one ten-year gap.

1th NPC, first session 15 Sep 1954: 1,226 deputies; chair Liu Shaoqi 1,226 1954 1 2th NPC, first session 18 Apr 1959: 1,235 deputies; chair Zhu De 1,235 1959 2 3th NPC, first session 21 Dec 1964: 3,040 deputies; chair Zhu De 3,040 1964 3 4th NPC, first session 13 Jan 1975: 2,864 deputies; chair Zhu De (until 6 July 1976; post then vacant until 1978) 2,864 1975 4 5th NPC, first session 26 Feb 1978: 3,497 deputies; chair Ye Jianying 3,497 1978 5 6th NPC, first session 6 Jun 1983: 2,884 deputies; chair Peng Zhen 2,884 1983 6 7th NPC, first session 25 Mar 1988: 2,892 deputies; chair Wan Li 2,892 1988 7 8th NPC, first session 15 Mar 1993: 2,977 deputies; chair Qiao Shi 2,977 1993 8 9th NPC, first session 5 Mar 1998: 2,979 deputies; chair Li Peng 2,979 1998 9 10th NPC, first session 5 Mar 2003: 2,985 deputies; chair Wu Bangguo 2,985 2003 10 11th NPC, first session 5 Mar 2008: 2,987 deputies; chair Wu Bangguo 2,987 2008 11 12th NPC, first session 5 Mar 2013: 2,987 deputies; chair Zhang Dejiang 2,987 2013 12 13th NPC, first session 5 Mar 2018: 2,980 deputies; chair Li Zhanshu 2,980 2018 13 14th NPC, first session 5 Mar 2023: 2,977 deputies; chair Zhao Leji 2,977 2023 14
NPCFirst sessionDeputiesStanding Committee chairSource
115 Sep 19541,226Liu Shaoqi[1]secondary
218 Apr 19591,235Zhu De[1]secondary
321 Dec 19643,040Zhu De[1]secondary
413 Jan 19752,864Zhu De (until 6 July 1976; post then vacant until 1978)[1]secondary
526 Feb 19783,497Ye Jianying[1]secondary
66 Jun 19832,884Peng Zhen[1]secondary
725 Mar 19882,892Wan Li[1]secondary
815 Mar 19932,977Qiao Shi[1]secondary
95 Mar 19982,979Li Peng[1]secondary
105 Mar 20032,985Wu Bangguo[1]secondary
115 Mar 20082,987Wu Bangguo[1]secondary
125 Mar 20132,987Zhang Dejiang[1]secondary
135 Mar 20182,980Li Zhanshu[1]secondary
145 Mar 20232,977Zhao Leji[1][2][3]

Terms 1–13: Wikipedia infoboxes (deputy counts as given there). 14th: NPC credentials report.

Rules that changed

How the system
was rewritten.

  1. 23 Jul 1921 · Party The Communist Party is founded

    The 1st National Congress opens in Shanghai and ends on a boat at Jiaxing.

    source
  2. 15 Sep 1954 · Event The first National People's Congress

    1,226 deputies hold the first session; Liu Shaoqi chairs its Standing Committee.

    sourcesecondary
  3. 21 Dec 1964 · Event Ten years without a new congress

    The 3rd NPC opens in December 1964; the 4th does not hold its first session until January 1975.

    sourcesecondary
  4. 1 Jul 1979 · Law The Electoral Law

    Adopted by the 5th NPC; amended seven times since, in 1982, 1986, 1995, 2004, 2010, 2015 and 2020.

    source
  5. 4 Dec 1982 · Constitution The current constitution

    Adopted by the 5th NPC; amended in 1988, 1993, 1999, 2004 and 2018.

    source
  6. 14 Mar 2010 · Law Equal urban and rural representation

    Electoral Law amendment: each deputy represents the same number of urban and rural residents (Arts. 15, 17).

    source
  7. 11 Mar 2018 · Constitution Presidential term limits removed

    The 13th NPC amends the constitution, removing the two-term limit on the President and Vice President; 2,958 for, 2 against, 3 abstentions.

    sourcesecondary
  8. 29 Dec 2018 · Law Village committees serve five years

    An amendment to the Organic Law of Villagers' Committees; the term in Article 11 now reads five years.

    source
  9. 17 Oct 2020 · Law Seventh Electoral Law amendment

    Article 2 now requires election work to uphold Communist Party leadership; county and township congress bases rise from 120 to 140 and 40 to 45 seats.

    source
  10. 30 Mar 2021 · Law Hong Kong's electoral overhaul

    Annexes I and II of the Basic Law are rewritten after the NPC Decision of 11 March: 90 LegCo seats, 20 by popular vote, and a vetting committee for all candidates.

    source
  11. 29 Oct 2026 · Party 21st Party Congress set for late 2027

    The 5th plenum of the 20th Central Committee decides to hold the congress in Beijing in the second half of 2027.

    source

Heads of state and premiers

  1. 1 Oct 1949 – 27 Sep 1954Mao ZedongChairman of the Central People's Government
  2. 27 Sep 1954 – 27 Apr 1959Mao ZedongChairman of the PRC
  3. 27 Apr 1959 – 31 Oct 1968Liu ShaoqiChairman of the PRC
  4. 31 Oct 1968 – 17 Jan 1975Soong Ching-ling & Dong BiwuActing (co-acting Vice Chairmen)
  5. 17 Jan 1975 – 18 Jun 1983Zhu De / Soong Ching-ling (acting) / Ye JianyingOffice abolished; Chairman of NPCSC as head of state
  6. 18 Jun 1983 – 8 Apr 1988Li XiannianPresident
  7. 8 Apr 1988 – 27 Mar 1993Yang ShangkunPresident
  8. 27 Mar 1993 – 15 Mar 2003Jiang ZeminPresident
  9. 15 Mar 2003 – 14 Mar 2013Hu JintaoPresident
  10. 14 Mar 2013 – presentXi JinpingPresident
  1. 1 Oct 1949 – 8 Jan 1976Zhou EnlaiPremier of Government Administration Council 1949-54, State Council from 1954-09-27; died in office
  2. 4 Feb 1976 – 10 Sep 1980Hua Guofengacting from 4 Feb 1976, full from 7 Apr 1976
  3. 10 Sep 1980 – 24 Nov 1987Zhao Ziyang
  4. 24 Nov 1987 – 17 Mar 1998Li Pengacting until 1988-03-25
  5. 17 Mar 1998 – 16 Mar 2003Zhu Rongji
  6. 16 Mar 2003 – 15 Mar 2013Wen Jiabao
  7. 15 Mar 2013 – 11 Mar 2023Li Keqiang
  8. 11 Mar 2023 – presentLi Qiang

Party congresses in full: Party page.