The State Council, or the Central People's Government, is the executive body of the highest organ of state power and the highest organ of state administration. It takes responsibility and reports its work to the NPC and its Standing Committee.

The State Council is composed of the premier, vice premiers, state councilors, ministers in charge of ministries or commissions, the auditor general and the secretary general. The premier of the State Council is nominated by the president, decided by the NPC, and appointed and removed by the president. Other members of the State Council are nominated by the premier, decided by the NPC or its Standing Committee, and appointed and removed by the president. The term of office of the State Council is of the same length as the NPC, and its members shall serve no more than two consecutive terms.

Previous premiers of the State Council were Zhou Enlai, Hua Guofeng, Zhao Ziyang, Li Peng and Zhu Rongji.

Wen Jiabao is incumbent premier of the State Council. Incumbent vice premiers are Huang Ju, Wu Yi (female), Zeng Peiyan and Hui Liangyu. Zhou Yongkang, Cao Gangchuan, Tang Jiaxuan, Hua Jianmin and Chen Zhili (female) are incumbent state councilors.

The General Office of the State Council, under the leadership of the secretary general, is in charge of routine affairs of the State Council. Current secretary general of the State Council is Hua Jianmin (concurrently).

Ministries and commissions under the State Council (28): Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of National Defense, National Development and Reform Commission, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Science and Technology, Commission of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense, State Ethnic Affairs Commission, Ministry of Public Security, Ministry of State Security, Ministry of Supervision, Ministry of Civil Affairs, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Personnel, Ministry of Labor and Social Security, Ministry of Land and Resources, Ministry of Construction, Ministry of Railways, Ministry of Communications, Ministry of Information Industry, Ministry of Water Resources, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Health, State Commission for Population and Family Planning, People's Bank of China and National Audit Office.

Special agency directly under the State Council (1): State-Owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission

Agencies directly under the State Council (18): General Administration of Customs, State Administration of Taxation, State Administration for Industry and Commerce, General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, State Environmental Protection Administration, General Administration of Civil Aviation, State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, Press and Publication Administration (National Copyright Administration), General Administration of Sport, National Bureau of Statistics, State Forestry Administration, State Food and Drug Administration, State Administration of Work Safety, State Intellectual Property Office, National Tourism Administration, State Administration for Religious Affairs, Counsellors' Office and Government Offices Administration

Offices under the State Council (4): Overseas Chinese Affairs Office, Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office, Legislative Affairs Office and Research Office

Institutions under the State Council (14): Xinhua News Agency, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Chinese Academy of Engineering, Development Research Center, National School of Administration, China Earthquake Bureau, China Meteorological Bureau, China Banking Regulatory Commission, China Securities Regulatory Commission, China Insurance Regulatory Commission, State Electricity Regulatory Commission, National Council for Social Security Fund and National Natural Science Foundation

Administrations and bureaus under ministries and commissions (10): State Bureau for Letters and Calls, State Administration of Grain, State Tobacco Monopoly Administration, State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs, State Oceanic Administration, State Bureau of Surveying and Mapping, State Post Bureau, State Bureau of Cultural Relics, State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine and State Administration of Foreign Exchange