in effect since 1 January 1987;
new legal codes in effect since 1 January 1980; continuing efforts
are being made to improve civil, administrative, criminal, and
commercial law

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: chief of state: President JIANG Zemin (since 27
March 1993) and Vice President HU Jintao (since 16 March 1998)

head of government: Premier ZHU Rongji (since 18 March 1998); Vice
Premiers QIAN Qichen (since 29 March 1993), LI Lanqing (29 March
1993), WU Bangguo (since 17 March 1995), and WEN Jiabao (since 18
March 1998)

cabinet: State Council appointed by the National People's Congress
(NPC)

elections: president and vice president elected by the National
People's Congress for five-year terms; elections last held 16-18
March 1998 (next to be held NA March 2003); premier nominated by the
president, confirmed by the National People's Congress

election results: JIANG Zemin reelected president by the Ninth
National People's Congress with a total of 2,882 votes (36 delegates
voted against him, 29 abstained, and 32 did not vote); HU Jintao
elected vice president by the Ninth National People's Congress with
a total of 2,841 votes (67 delegates voted against him, 39
abstained, and 32 did not vote)

Legislative branch: unicameral National People's Congress or Quanguo
Renmin Daibiao Dahui (2,979 seats; members elected by municipal,
regional, and provincial people's congresses to serve five-year
terms)

elections: last held NA December 1997-NA February 1998 (next to be
held late 2002-NA March 2003)

election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - NA

Judicial branch: Supreme People's Court (judges appointed by the
National People's Congress); Local Peoples Courts (comprise higher,
intermediate and local courts); Special Peoples Courts (primarily
military, maritime, and railway transport courts)

Political parties and leaders: Chinese Communist Party or CCP [JIANG
Zemin, General Secretary of the Central Committee]; eight registered
small parties controlled by CCP

Political pressure groups and leaders: no substantial political
opposition groups exist, although the government has identified the
Falungong sect and the China Democracy Party as potential rivals

International organization participation: AfDB, APEC, ARF (dialogue
partner), AsDB, ASEAN (dialogue partner), BIS, CCC, CDB
(non-regional), ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU,
ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, I