Paramount Leader

The paramount leader (simplified Chinese: 党和国家最高领导人; traditional Chinese: 黨和國家最高領導人; pinyin: Dǎng hé guójiā zuìgāo lǐngdǎorén), literally "the highest leader of the party and the state", refers to the political leader of China in modern Chinese political science.

Until the mid-1990s, the paramount leader was able to wield power without necessarily holding any official or formally significant governmental position. The most notable example is former Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping, who held supreme power in the People's Republic of China roughly from 1978 to 1992 without officially holding the top political offices. The current paramount leader is Xi Jinping. Xi, like Deng Xiaoping, has not consolidated all of the three largest posts, with Hu Jintao serving as President.

The paramount leader usually holds the following posts:

General Secretary of the Communist Party of China

The leader of the Party and the highest ranking position (simplified Chinese: 中国共产党中央委员会总书记; traditional Chinese: 中國共產黨中央委員會總書記; pinyin: Zhōngguó gòngchǎndǎng zhōngyāng wěiyuánhuì zǒngshūjì)

President of the People's Republic of China

The head of state - ceremonial figurehead since 1982. (simplified Chinese: 中华人民共和国主席; traditional Chinese: 中華人民共和國主席; pinyin: Zhōnghuá rénmín gònghéguó zhǔxí) (Post currently held by an official other than the paramount leader).

Chairman of the Central Military Commission

Commander-in-chief of the People's Liberation Army (simplified Chinese: 中央军事委员会主席; traditional Chinese: 中央軍事委員會主席; pinyin: Zhōngyāng jūnshì wěiyuánhuì zhǔxí)