Changes in the System of Governing Bodies of the People's Republic of China

Abstract

I. The current system of governing bodies of the People's Republic of China (PRC) is laid down by the constitution of 1982. Its adoption completed the process of restoration of the PRC state structure formed in the 1950s following "a decade of discord," as the period 1966-1976 (also termed the "Cultural Revolution") is now called in China. As is known, the constitutional system of governing bodies was smashed, together with the statutory bodies of the Chinese Communist Party (with the exception of the army) and the country's trade unions and youth organizations in the most destructive stage of this unprecedented campaign in 1966-1968. The state organs were replaced by "revolutionary committees" and military control committees and groups. These organizations also replaced the administrations of enterprises, institutions, and educational establishments. The military control bodies headed the ministries and other central administrative bodies, whose number of was considerably reduced. The united punitive bodies, the genquian fa, which simultaneously exercised the functions of the state security organs, the procurator, and the court, were placed under military control. During the Cultural Revolution the President of the PRC, Liu Shaoqi, was removed from his post, in utter disregard of the necessary constitutional formalities, and the National People's Congress (NPC) did not convene for ten years; nor were there any reports on the activity of its Standing Committee or on meetings and acts of the State Council¹ (of the government of the PRC).