appoint or remove the Premier, Vice Premiers, State Councilors, Ministers in charge of ministries and commissions, the Auditor-General and Secretary-General of the State Council;

confer state medals and honorary titles;

issues orders granting a special pardon;

proclaim martial law or a state of war and issue mobilization orders.

The President receives foreign diplomatic representatives on behalf of the People's Republic of China. Acting in pursuance of the decisions of the NPC Standing Committee, the President appoints or recalls Ambassadors, ratifies or cancels treaties and other state agreements.

The Central People's Government of the People's Republic of China, more usually known as the State Council, is the top executive body and is responsible for state administration.

The State Council is composed of the Premier, Vice Premiers, State Councilors, Ministers in charge of ministries and commissions, the Auditor-General and the Secretary-General. It is under the leadership of the Premier.

The State Council is responsible to and reports to the National People's Congress or to its Standing Committee when the NPC itself is not in session. The term of office for service on the State Council is the same as that for the NPC and the Premier, Vice-Premiers and State Councilors can serve no more than two consecutive terms.

The Central Military Commission heads the nation's armed forces. It is led by a Chair supported by Vice-Chairs together with other commission members. All serve terms of office following the NPC pattern. The Chair of the Central Military Commission is responsible to the National People's Congress and its Standing Committee.

The people's courts are the judicial organs of the state. The Supreme People's Court, the highest state judicial organ, is responsible to and reports to the NPC and its Standing Committee. The President of the Supreme People's Court serves a term of five years with no more than two consecutive terms.

The People's Procuratorates are the state organs of legal supervision. The Supreme People's Procuratorate, the highest state organ of legal supervision, is responsible to and reports to the NPC and its Standing Committee. The Procurator-General of the Supreme People's Procuratorate serves a term of five years with no more than two consecutive terms.