Vice President of China

, the first vice president in Chinese history. The office was first established under the Beiyang government when Li Yuanhong became the first vice president of the country when the Republic was founded in 1912. The post was abolished in 1917, but it was restored after the end of the Nationalist government as Li Zongren became the first modern vice president under the 1947 Constitution of the Republic of China. The office of the vice president along with the government of the Republic of China, was relocated to Taiwan in 1949, where it exists today. The PRC post, which began as the state vice chairman was first established under the 1954 Constitution, together with the chairman. It was, along with the state chairman, abolished in the new Constitution adopted by the 4th National People's Congress (NPC) in 1975. The office, now called the vice president, was restored in the 1982 constitution together with the presidency. The new constitution mandated term limits for the office, stipulating the president and vice president could not serve more than two consecutive terms. On March 11, 2018, the first session of the 13th National People's Congress, by a vote of 2,958 in favor, two opposed and three abstaining, passed a constitutional amendment that removed the previous term limits for the president and the vice president. == Selection ==

Eligibility Article 79 of the Constitution sets three qualifications for being elected for the vice presidency. To serve as president, one must: • be a Chinese citizen; • have the right to vote and stand for election; • be at least 45 years old. Election According to the Organic Law of the National People's Congress (NPC), constitutionally China's supreme organ of state power, the vice president is nominated by the NPC Presidium, the Congress's executive organ. However, the nomination is effectively made by the Chinese Communist Party, with the decisions being made among Party leaders. Candidates for top positions including the vice president are first approved first by the CCP's Politburo Standing Committee, and then by its Politburo, then approved in a special plenary session the Central Committee just before the NPC session for election by the Congress, with the Presidium presenting the nominee during the NPC session. Although the Presidium could theoretically nominate multiple candidates for the presidency, leading the election to be competitive, it has always nominated a single candidate for the office. After the nomination, the vice president is elected by the NPC, which also has the power to remove the vice president and other state officers from office. Elections and removals are decided by majority vote. The length of the vice president's term of office is the same as the NPC, which is 5 years. Since 2018, the vice president is required to recite the constitutional oath of office before assuming office. == Powers ==

The vice president's duties constitutionally include assisting the president. The vice president may exercise part of the functions and powers of the president on the president's behalf when so entrusted by the president. Vice presidents Hu Jintao, Zeng Qinghong and Xi Jinping have been members of the Politburo Standing Committee of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the Central Secretariat, the country's main decision making bodies; these three served concurrently as the first-ranking member of the CCP Secretariat, in charge of party affairs. Since 2018, the vice presidency has been held by a former member of the Politburo Standing Committee. The vice president may play a major role in foreign affairs. For instance, the vice president generally sits on the Central Foreign Affairs Commission, a policy coordination body of the CCP. The vice president has also typically sits on the Central Leading Group on Hong Kong and Macau Affairs. Therefore, while the vice president may not actually have substantive powers as defined in the Constitution, the office nonetheless carries significance and prestige. The holders of the office have all been individuals with a degree of political clout. == List of vice presidents ==

; Generations of leadership: Central People's Government (1949–1954) ; Vice Chairmen of the Central People's Government : (co-serving, 1 October 1949 – 27 September 1954) • Zhu De • Liu Shaoqi • Song Qingling • Li Jishen • Zhang Lan • Gao Gang (until his suicide on 17 August 1954) The 1st Constitution (1954–1975) The 4th Constitution (1982–present) == See also ==