The term Paramount Leader usually refers to someone who has supreme and unquestionable power. A "Paramount Leader" is able to wield power without holding any official governmental position. The most notable example is former Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping.

"Paramount Leader" is a fixed expression in political science, which in most cases refers to the political leader of China who controls the three branches of the Chinese political system (Chinese Communist Party, People's Republic of China and People's Liberation Army) by holding the following offices: - General Secretary of the Communist Party of China - President of the People's Republic of China - Chairman of the Central Military Commission

Recent Paramount Leaders are - Jiang Zemin (1989-2002) - Hu Jintao (2002- )

Leadership transition takes several months, e.g. Hu Jintao - General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (November 2002) - President of the People's Republic of China (March 2003) - Chairman of the Central Military Commission (September 2004)

Usually the office as Chairman of the Central Military Commission is the last office handed over by the previous paramount leader, in order to order to secure political influence and ensure political continuity.

A strong man like Manuel Noriega can also hold real power while another person has the official titles.