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China Political map of China labeled in Pinyin, showing provincial-level divisions including provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities, and special administrative regions. Major cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Lhasa are marked, along with neighboring countries and key bodies of water like the Yellow Sea and East China Sea. Disputed and controlled boundaries with India, Pakistan, and Bhutan are indicated with dashed and dotted lines. An inset map shows China's location within Asia. Map highlighting China in solid orange, showing its location in East Asia and its borders with countries including Russia, Mongolia, North Korea, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, India, Bhutan, Nepal, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan. Taiwan is shown in purple as self-governing but claimed by China. Disputed border areas are marked with letters and explained in a legend. Surrounding bodies of water such as the East China Sea, South China Sea, and Sea of Japan are labeled, and an inset globe shows China's posit View across the Huangpu River to the Pudong financial district in Shanghai, featuring modern skyscrapers and the Oriental Pearl Tower. Shanghai: Huangpu district
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Map of China highlighting major physical features with labels in Pinyin. The map shows mountain ranges such as the Himalayas, Kunlun, Altun, and Qin Mountains; highlands and plateaus including the Plateau of Tibet and Loess Plateau; major basins like the Junggar and Sichuan Basins; deserts such as the Takla Makan and Gobi; and significant rivers including the Huang He (Yellow River), Chang Jiang (Yangtze River), and Zhu Jiang (Pearl River). Key lakes, nature reserves, and neighboring countries a Xinjiang, China: Kyrgyz mosque in the Pamirs Snow-covered peaks of Mount Everest and surrounding Himalayan mountains rise above dark rocky slopes in Nepal.
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Leaders of the People’s Republic of China since 1949

in

China

Also known as: Chung-hua, Chung-hua Jen-min Kung-ho-kuo, Chung-kuo, People’s Republic of China, Zhongguo, Zhonghua, Zhonghua Renmin Gongheguo(Show More)
Written by
Evelyn S. Rawski
Professor of History, University of Pittsburgh. Author of Education and Popular Literacy in Ch'ing China.
Evelyn S. RawskiAll
Fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
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Last updated
•History

The table provides a chronological list of the leaders of the People’s Republic of China since 1949.

Leaders of the People's Republic of China Since 1949
Chinese Communist Party leaders
name title dates
Mao Zedong CCP chairman 1949–1976
Hua Guofeng CCP chairman 1976–1981
Hu Yaobang CCP chairman; after September 1982,
general secretary of the CCP 		1981–1987
Zhao Ziyang CCP general secretary 1987–1989
Jiang Zemin CCP general secretary 1989–2002
Hu Jintao CCP general secretary 2002–12
Xi Jinping CCP general secretary 2012–
premiers
name dates
Zhou Enlai 1949–1976
Hua Guofeng 1976–1980
Zhao Ziyang 1980–1987
Li Peng 1987–1998
Zhu Rongji 1998–2003
Wen Jiabao 2003–2013
Li Keqiang 2013–