)
head of government: Premier WEN Jiabao (since 16 March 2003);
Executive Vice Premier LI Keqiang (17 March 2008), Vice Premier HUI
Liangyu (since 17 March 2003), Vice Premier ZHANG Deijiang (since 17
March 2008), and Vice Premier WANG Qishan (since 17 March 2008)
cabinet: State Council appointed by National People's Congress (NPC)
elections: president and vice president elected by National People's
Congress for a five-year term (eligible for a second term);
elections last held 15-17 March 2008 (next to be held in mid-March
2013); premier nominated by president, confirmed by National
People's Congress
election results: HU Jintao elected president by National People's
Congress with a total of 2,963 votes; XI Jinping elected vice
president with a total of 2,919 votes

Legislative branch:

unicameral National People's Congress or Quanguo Renmin Daibiao
Dahui (2,987 seats; members elected by municipal, regional, and
provincial people's congresses, and People's Liberation Army to
serve five-year terms)
elections: last held December 2007-February 2008; date of next
election - NA
election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - 2,987

Judicial branch:

Supreme People's Court (judges appointed by the National People's
Congress); Local People's Courts (comprise higher, intermediate, and
basic courts); Special People's Courts (primarily military,
maritime, railway transportation, and forestry courts)

Political parties and leaders:

Chinese Communist Party or CCP [HU Jintao]; eight registered small
parties controlled by CCP

Political pressure groups and leaders:

the China Democracy Party; the Falungong spiritual movement
note: no substantial political opposition groups exist, although the
government has identified the organizations listed above as
subversive groups

International organization participation:

ADB, AfDB (nonregional members), APEC, APT, Arctic Council
(observer), ARF, ASEAN (dialogue partner), BIS, CDB, EAS, FAO, G-24
(observer), G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC,
IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU,
ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAIA (observer), MIGA, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM
(observer), NSG, OAS (observer), OPCW, PCA, PIF (partner), SAARC
(observer), SCO, UN, UN Security Council, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNITAR, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNMIT, UNOCI, UNTSO,
UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US: