Vice Chairman of the Chinese Communist Party

Highest rank under the Chairman within the Chinese Communist Party from 1956 to 1982
Vice Chairman of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party
中国共产党中央委员会副主席
Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party
StyleVice Chairman (副主席)
(informal)
Comrade (同志)
(formal)
Member ofPolitburo Standing Committee
Reports toCentral Committee
SeatZhongnanhai, Beijing, China
NominatorCentral Committee
AppointerCentral Committee
Term lengthFive years,
renewable
Constituting instrumentParty Constitution
Formation26 September 1956; 67 years ago (1956-09-26)
Abolished1 September 1982; 41 years ago (1982-09-01)
Vice Chairman of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party
Simplified Chinese中国共产党中央委员会副主席
Traditional Chinese中國共產黨中央委員會副主席
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinZhōngguó Gòngchǎndǎng Zhōngyāng Wěiyuánhuì Fùzhǔxí
Commonly abbreviated as
Chinese中共中央副主席
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinZhōnggòng Zhōngyāng Fùzhǔxí

The vice chairman of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party was the second-highest rank within the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) after the chairman from 1956 to 1982. The position was phased out after 1982 in order to remove the "Chairman" position from any government posting, resigning it solely to the late Mao Zedong.

All vice chairmen were members of the Politburo Standing Committee of the Chinese Communist Party.

List of Vice Chairmen

Term Image Name Term Chairman Note
Term start Term end
8th Central Committee Liu Shaoqi 28 September 1956 12 August 1966
Mao Zedong
In office until the Eleventh Plenary Session
Zhou Enlai 28 September 1956 12 August 1966
Zhu De 28 September 1956 12 August 1966
Chen Yun 28 September 1956 12 August 1966
Lin Biao 25 May 1958 28 April 1969 Elected at the Fifth Plenary Session
9th Central Committee 28 April 1969 13 September 1971 † The only party vice-chairman
10th Central Committee Hua Guofeng 6 April 1976 6 October 1976
Mao Zedong


Hua Guofeng
First Vice-chairman
Zhou Enlai 30 August 1973 8 January 1976 † Died in office
Wang Hongwen 30 August 1973 7 October 1976 Gang of Four, arrested in 1976, expelled in 1977
Kang Sheng 30 August 1973 16 December 1975 † Died in office
Ye Jianying 30 August 1973 19 August 1977 From October 1976 to July 1977, was the only Party Vice-chairman
Li Desheng 30 August 1973 10 January 1975 Resigned at the Second Plenary Session
Deng Xiaoping 10 January 1975 19 August 1977 Elected at the Second Plenary Session. Removed from office due to Tiananmen Incident. Reinstated at the Third Plenum
11th Central Committee Ye Jianying 19 August 1977 6 September 1982
Hua Guofeng


Hu Yaobang
Deng Xiaoping 19 August 1977 6 September 1982
Li Xiannian 19 August 1977 6 September 1982
Wang Dongxing 19 August 1977 29 February 1980 Resigned at the Fifth Plenary Session
Chen Yun 22 December 1978 6 September 1982 Elected at the Third Plenary Session
Zhao Ziyang 29 June 1981 6 September 1982 Elected at the Sixth Plenary Session
Hua Guofeng 29 June 1981 6 September 1982 Elected at the Sixth Plenary Session
  • v
  • t
  • e
Before 11th Plenum
(Aug 1966)
Standing Committee
(PSC)
  1. Mao Zedong (Chairman)
  2. Liu Shaoqi (Vice-Chairman)
  3. Zhou Enlai (Vice-Chairman)
  4. Zhu De (Vice-Chairman)
  5. Chen Yun (Vice-Chairman)
  6. Lin Biao (added May 1958, Vice-Chairman)
  7. Deng Xiaoping (General Secretary)
Other members
in surname stroke order
Alternate members
After 11th Plenum
Standing Committee
  1. Mao Zedong (Chairman)
  2. Lin Biao (Vice-Chairman)
  3. Zhou Enlai
  4. Tao Zhu (purged Jan 1967)
  5. Chen Boda
  6. Deng Xiaoping (purged Jan 1967)
  7. Kang Sheng
  8. Liu Shaoqi (purged Jan 1967)
  9. Zhu De
  10. Li Fuchun
  11. Chen Yun
Other members
in surname stroke order
Alternate members
  1. Ulanhu (purged Aug 1966)
  2. Bo Yibo (purged Jan 1967)
  3. Li Xuefeng
  4. Song Renqiong (purged Aug 1967)
  5. Xie Fuzhi
7th→8th→9th→10th→11th→12th→13th→14th→15th→16th→17th→18th→19th→20th
  • v
  • t
  • e
Standing Committee
  1. Mao Zedong (Chairman)
  2. Lin Biao (Vice-Chairman, died Sep 1971)
  3. Zhou Enlai
  4. Chen Boda (dismissed Aug 1973)
  5. Kang Sheng
Other members
in surname stroke order
Alternate members
7th→8th→9th→10th→11th→12th→13th→14th→15th→16th→17th→18th→19th→20th
  • v
  • t
  • e
Standing Committee
(PSC)
before Oct 1976
  1. Mao Zedong (Chairman, died Sep 1976)
  2. Zhou Enlai (Vice-Chairman, died Jan 1976)
  3. Wang Hongwen (Vice-Chairman, arrested Oct 1976)
  4. Kang Sheng (Vice-Chairman, died Dec 1975)
  5. Ye Jianying (Vice-Chairman)
  6. Li Desheng (Vice-Chairman, resigned Jan 1975)
  7. Zhu De (died Jul 1976)
  8. Zhang Chunqiao (arrested Oct 1976)
  9. Dong Biwu (died Apr 1975)
  10. Deng Xiaoping (added Jan 1975, Vice-Chairman; dismissed Apr 1976)
  11. Hua Guofeng (added Apr 1976, Vice-Chairman)
after Oct 1976
  1. Hua Guofeng (Chairman)
  2. Ye Jianying (Vice-Chairman)
  3. Deng Xiaoping (Vice-Chairman, reinstated Jul 1977)
Other members
in surname stroke order
Alternate members
7th→8th→9th→10th→11th→12th→13th→14th→15th→16th→17th→18th→19th→20th
  • v
  • t
  • e
Standing Committee
(PSC)
Other members
in surname stroke order
Alternate members
7th→8th→9th→10th→11th→12th→13th→14th→15th→16th→17th→18th→19th→20th