Editing Premier of China (section)

== History ==
{{main|List of premiers of the People's Republic of China}}

In the early 1900s, the [[Qing dynasty]] government began implementing constitutional reform in China in order to prevent a revolution. The reforms included the [[Qinding Xianfa Dagang|Outline of the Imperial Constitution]] passed in 1908, which ordered that elections for provincial assemblies must be held within a year. In May 1911, the government replaced the [[Grand Council (Qing dynasty)|Grand Council]] with a thirteen-member [[Cabinet (government)|cabinet]], led by [[Yikuang|Prince Qing]], who was appointed [[Prime Minister of the Imperial Cabinet]]. However, the cabinet included nine [[Manchu people|Manchus]], seven of whom were members of the [[Aisin Gioro|imperial clan]]. This "[[Prince Qing's Cabinet|Princes' Cabinet]]" was unpopular among the people and was viewed as a reactionary measure, being described at one point as "the old Grand Council under the name of a cabinet, [[autocracy]] under the name of constitutionalism."{{sfnb|Esherick|2013}}

When the [[Wuchang Uprising]] broke out in November 1911, the imperial court summoned the general [[Yuan Shikai]] to command the [[Beiyang Army]] and put down the [[Xinhai Revolution|revolution]]. He was named Prime Minister on 2 November 1911, shortly after Prince Qing stepped down. He remained in that office until March 1912, when he negotiated with [[Empress Dowager Longyu]] the abdication of the [[Puyi|Xuantong Emperor]].{{sfnb|Esherick|2013}} However, the post was briefly revived in July 1917 during [[Zhang Xun (Qing loyalist)|Zhang Xun]]'s attempt to [[Manchu Restoration|restore]] the Qing monarchy, but he only held it for several days before [[Beijing]] was retaken by [[Republic of China (1912–1949)|Republican]] forces. 

Following the collapse of the Qing, the premier of the Republic of China was created as Premier of the Cabinet ({{Lang|zh-cn|內閣總理}}) in 1912. It was changed to the Secretary of State ({{lang|zh-cn|國務卿}}) in 1914 and Premier of State Council ({{lang|zh-cn|國務總理}}) in 1916 in the [[Beiyang Government]]. In 1928, the [[Kuomintang]] (KMT) Government established the [[Executive Yuan]] and [[Tan Yankai]] served as the first president of the Executive Yuan. It was formalized in 1947 after the [[Constitution of the Republic of China]] was passed. The post was abolished in Mainland China, but continued on Taiwan since 1949.

=== People's Republic of China ===
The PRC post was initially established by Organic Law of the [[Central People's Government of the People's Republic of China (1949–1954)|Central People's Government]], passed by the [[Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference]] in 29 September 1949, as the premier of the Government Administration Council of the Central People's Government.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Organic Law of the Central People's Government of the People's Republic of China |url=http://www.commonprogram.science/documents/The%20organic%20law%20of%20the%20central%20people%27government%20of%20the%20PRC.pdf |access-date=3 September 2023 |website=The Common Program of the People's Republic of China 1949-1954 |archive-date=14 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231214183452/http://www.commonprogram.science/documents/The%20organic%20law%20of%20the%20central%20people%27government%20of%20the%20PRC.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Zhou Enlai]] was appointed as premier immediately after the [[proclamation of the People's Republic of China]] in 1 October 1949.{{cn|date=June 2024}} With the adoption of a [[1954 Constitution of the People's Republic of China|constitution in 1954]], the post was renamed into the premier of the State Council of the People's Republic of China.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Chang |first=Yu-Nan |date=1956 |title=The Chinese Communist State System Under the Constitution of 1954 |journal=[[The Journal of Politics]] |volume=18 |issue=3 |pages=520–546 |doi=10.2307/2127261 |issn=0022-3816 |jstor=2127261 |s2cid=154446161}}</ref>

Since the 1980s, there has been a division of responsibilities between the premier and the [[Chinese Communist Party]] (CCP) [[General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party|general secretary]] wherein the premier is responsible for the economy and the technical details of implementing government policy while the general secretary gathers the political support necessary for government policy.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Wei |first=Lingling |date=2022-05-11 |title=China's Forgotten Premier Steps Out of Xi's Shadow as Economic Fixer |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/china-premier-li-keqiang-xi-jinping-11652277107 |url-access=subscription |access-date=2022-10-16 |work=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |language=en-US |issn=0099-9660 |archive-date=2023-05-31 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230531130648/https://www.wsj.com/articles/china-premier-li-keqiang-xi-jinping-11652277107 |url-status=live }}</ref> However, this was seen by observers to be overturned under the [[China under Xi Jinping|leadership]] of CCP general secretary [[Xi Jinping]], who has centralized power around himself, and has taken responsibility over areas that were traditionally the domain of the premier, including the economy.<ref name=":0" />

The premier was historically chosen within the CCP through deliberations by incumbent [[Politburo of the Chinese Communist Party|Politburo]] members and retired CCP Politburo members as part of the process of determining membership in the incoming new [[Politburo Standing Committee of the Chinese Communist Party|CCP Politburo Standing Committee]]. Under this informal process, the eventual future premier is initially chosen as a [[Vice Premier of China|vice premier]] before assuming the position of premier during a subsequent round of leadership transitions.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |date=21 November 2012 |title=China's backroom power brokers block reform candidates |work=[[South China Morning Post]] |url=https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1087355/chinas-backroom-power-brokers-block-reform-candidates |access-date=26 September 2021 |archive-date=13 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230413084516/https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1087355/chinas-backroom-power-brokers-block-reform-candidates |url-status=live }}</ref> This changed under Xi, with his ally and current premier [[Li Qiang]] never having served as vice premier.<ref name=":2">{{Cite news |last1=Hadano |first1=Tsukasa |last2=Kawate |first2=Iori |date=31 December 2022 |title=Xi loyalist set to become China premier without stint as deputy |work=[[Nikkei Asia]] |url=https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/Xi-loyalist-set-to-become-China-premier-without-stint-as-deputy |access-date=8 January 2023 |archive-date=4 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230804115948/https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/Xi-loyalist-set-to-become-China-premier-without-stint-as-deputy |url-status=live }}</ref>