General Office of the Communist Party of China

The General Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, often referred to as the Central Office (中办), is an office directly under the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China in charge of the routine administrative affairs of the Central Committee and its Politburo.

The office is responsible for drafting and circulating party directives and internal memos, as well as the classification of party information. It is in charge of arranging logistics for major meetings of the Central Committee and its Politburo. It is responsible for preparing meeting agendas, recording and filing meeting minutes, and distribution of communications to meeting stakeholders.

Although its business is often not overtly political, its Directors have historically had close connections with the Party's top leaders, and usually join the Politburo or the Secretariat after their period leading the General Office. The Director of the General office has been informally referred to as the "Danei Zongguan" (大内总管), roughly translated as "the gatekeeper" or "head eunuch".

The General Office's establishment date is uncertain, though it existed by 1942 as Li Fuchun was its chief at that time; previously, its functions were exercised by the Organization Department or technical secretariats.

List of directors

Director of the General Office of the Central Secretariat

1. Li Fuchun (1942–1945)
2. Yang Shangkun (1945–1948)

Director of the General Office of the Central Committee

1. Yang Shangkun (1948–1965)
2. Wang Dongxing (1965–1978)
3. Yao Yilin (1978–1982)
4. Hu Qili (1982–1983)
5. Qiao Shi (1983–1984)
6. Wang Zhaoguo (1984–1986)
7. Wen Jiabao (1986–1993)
8. Zeng Qinghong (1993–1999)
9. Wang Gang (1999–2007)
10. Ling Jihua (2007–2012)
11. Li Zhanshu (2012–present)

See also

• Politics of the People's Republic of China
• General Offices
  • State Council General Office
  • General Office of the Central Military Commission
• General Department of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union