The Constitution of the CPC rules that "The central leading bodies and leaders elected by each Central Committee shall, when the next National Congress is in session, continue to preside over the Party's day-to-day work until the new central leading bodies and leaders are elected by the next Central Committee." During the session of the National Congress, the presidium of the National Congress of the CPC shall preside over the National Congress. The members of the presidium of the National Congress are nominated by the last Central Committee or the delegations who will determine the shortlist of the candidates after due consideration and finally vote by a show of hands at the preparatory meeting of the National Congress.

The presidium consists of the secretary-general, the vice secretary-generals and standing members. The secretary-general is decided by a show of hands at the preparatory meeting of the National Congress and the vice secretary-generals and the standing members are decided by a show of hands at the first presidium meeting presided over by the secretary-general. The post of the executive chairman of the National Congress rotates among the members of the presidium.

The responsibilities of the presidium are as follows: presiding over the meeting according to the agenda; organizing the reports and discussions; conducting the elections of the National Congress; organizing the discussions of the delegates and adopting the resolutions of the congress.
 
The new central committee elected by the National Congress is the highest leading body when the Congress is not in session. It implements the resolutions of the Congress and takes charge of all the work of the Party and represents the Communist Party of China to the outside world. The presidium is no longer the leading body when the Congress is not in session.

(China.org.cn, 17thcongress.org.cn October 14, 2007)