Central Foreign Affairs Commission

Functions

The commission is the top CCP institution dedicated to China's foreign affairs. Through the commission, the CCP leadership makes decisions, assigns responsibilities and oversees implementation on a broad range of foreign-related activities. The policies handled by the commission include traditional diplomacy, party-to-party diplomacy, external propaganda, external trade, intelligence activities overseas, counterespionage, and internal aspects of Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan affairs. The meetings of the commission are rarely publicized. The Foreign Relations Law of the People's Republic of China states that the commission is "responsible for policy making, deliberation and coordination relating to the conduct of foreign relations". The law further states that the commission "considers and formulates the State's foreign relations strategy and related major principles and policies, and provides guidance for their implementation" and that it is "responsible for top-level design, coordination and holistic advancement of work concerning foreign relations, and supervises its implementation".

The Office of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission is its administrative agency, operating secretively like its parent body. The Office is responsible for executing and coordinating the implementation of the decisions and directives of the commission. It additionally conducts research and makes suggestions on international relations, drafts and oversees foreign-related laws and regulations, handles foreign-related inquiries from Party, state and local bodies, and organizes work on maritime rights and interests. Though the office itself is a ministerial-level institution, the director of the Office has been a member of the Politburo and at the deputy national-level leader. Generally, the director has greater authority than the Minister of Foreign Affairs. The director of the commission's Office, currently Wang Yi, is the top diplomat of the People's Republic of China.

Membership

The membership of the commission generally consists of China's national leaders, including the CCP general secretary, the premier, the vice president, heads of the International Department and Central Propaganda Department, the director of the State Council Information Office, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of National Defense, the Minister of Public Security, the Minister of State Security, the Minister of Commerce, and heads of CCP and state agencies related to Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, and overseas Chinese.

Leadership

1. Li Xiannian (1981–1988), CCP Vice Chairman, President
2. Li Peng (1988–1993), Premier
3. Jiang Zemin (1993–2003), CCP General Secretary and President
4. Hu Jintao (2003–2013), CCP General Secretary and President
5. Xi Jinping (2013–present), CCP General Secretary and President

19th Committee

Source:

• Leader
  • Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party, President of China, Chairman of the Central Military Commission
• Deputy leader
  • Li Keqiang, Premier of China, Politburo Standing Committee of the Chinese Communist Party member
• Group members
  • Wang Qishan, Vice President of China
  • Yang Jiechi, member of the Politburo of the Chinese Communist Party
  • Huang Kunming, Head of the Party Publicity Department
  • Wang Yi, State Councilor and Minister of Foreign Affairs
  • Wei Fenghe, State Councilor and Minister of National Defense
  • Zhao Kezhi, State Councilor and Minister of Public Security
  • Song Tao, Head of the Party International Department
  • Chen Wenqing, Minister of State Security
  • Zhong Shan → Wang Wentao, Minister of Commerce
  • Liu Jieyi, Director of the Taiwan Affairs Office
  • Zhang Xiaoming → Xia Baolong, Director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office
  • Jiang Jianguo → Xu Lin, Director of the State Council Information Office
  • Xu Yousheng → Pan Yue, Director of the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office
• Director of the General Office and Secretary-General
  • Yang Jiechi
• Deputy Director of the General Office
  • Le Yucheng, Executive Vice Foreign Minister

20th Committee

• Leader
  • Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party, President of China, Chairman of the Central Military Commission
• Deputy leader
  • Li Qiang, Premier of China, member of the Politburo Standing Committee of the Chinese Communist Party
• Group members
  • Han Zheng, Vice President of China
• Director of General Office and Secretary-General
  • Wang Yi, member of the Politburo of the Chinese Communist Party and Minister of Foreign Affairs
• Deputy Director of the General Office
  • Guo Yezhou