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The political ranking of the People's Republic of China is the ranking of political leaders in China, by order of presumed political power. Although there is no formally published ranking, the relative positions of Chinese political figures can usually be deduced from the order in meetings and especially by the time and order which figures are covered by the official media.
Depending on the person and the time period, the hierarchy will vary accordingly. Although Chinese political positions are becoming increasingly institutionalized, part of the power of Chinese leaders still derives from who they are, rather than what position they hold.
Individuals could hold multiple top leadership titles but also be unable to claim to be the de facto ruler as was the case with Hua Guofeng, when "paramount leader" Deng Xiaoping was present. The traditional ranking system was based upon the hierarchial line of the politburo standing committee, however "special" cases do arise as it is the case with Jiang Zemin and the 4th Generation leaders. Jiang, although retired from the politburo and the central committee, was nonethless ranked number two for being the all powerful CMC chairman until his resignation on September 19, 2004.
Typical Ranking is as follows:
Type 1:
Type 2:
Type 3:
Type 4:
Type 5: (CURRENT)
Below the topmost layer of leaders, lower-level cadres are found in a well-defined system of ranks. The rank of a cadre determines what positions he/she may assume in the government or the military, how much political power he/she gets, and and the level of benefits in areas such as transportation and healthcare.
See also: