Politburo Standing Committee

The 7 member Politburo Standing Committee of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP is the most senior leadership body with each member ranked 1 thru 7, not as equals. Each shoulders primary responsibility for a specific portfolio. The General Secretary, Xi Jinping as of 2020, is ranked No. 1. The Standing Committee, which resides in the Forbidden City of Beijing, is empowered with day-to--day decision making.

There is a wider 25 member Party Politburo, called simply the Politburo, consisting of provincial heads and others that meets irregularly, typically every 4 to six weeks. Under the principles of Democratic Socialism, the Standing Committee members also serve as "equals" on the regular party Politburo. The party Politburo functions as more than just an advisory body; it's briefed on decisions made by the Standing Committee to carry out in local districts, and is where recruits for the Standing Committee are drawn from to fill vacancies on the Standing Committee in the CCP hierarchy.

The head of the party's internal enforcement arm, the Central Discipline Inspection Commission, is a member of the Politburo Standing Committee.