Chairman of the Communist Party of China
During his paramount leadership, his official state positions were Chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference from 1978 to 1983 and Chairman of the Central Military Commission (an "ad hoc" body comprising the most senior members of the party elite) of the People's Republic of China from 1983 to 1990, while his official party positions were Vice Chairman of the Communist Party of China from 1977 to 1982, Chairman of the Central Military Commission of the Communist Party of China from 1981 to 1989 and Chairman of the Central Advisory Commission from 1982 to 1987. Even after retiring from the Politburo Standing Committee in 1987 and the Central Military Commission in 1989, Deng continued to exert influence over China's policies until his death in 1997.