1978 in China

Events in the year 1978 in the People's Republic of China.

Incumbents

 * Paramount leader - Hua Guofeng → Deng Xiaoping
 * Chairman of the Chinese Communist Party – Hua Guofeng
 * Premier of the People's Republic of China – Hua Guofeng
 * Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress – Ye Jianying
 * Chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference – Deng Xiaoping

Governors

 * Governor of Anhui Province – Song Peizhang then Wan Li
 * Governor of Fujian Province – Liao Zhigao
 * Governor of Gansu Province – Song Ping
 * Governor of Guangdong Province – Wei Guoqing
 * Governor of Guizhou Province – Ma Li
 * Governor of Hebei Province – Liu Zihou
 * Governor of Heilongjiang Province – Yang Yichen
 * Governor of Henan Province – Liu Jianxun then Duan Junyi
 * Governor of Hubei Province – Zhao Xinchu then Chen Pixian
 * Governor of Hunan Province – Mao Zhiyong
 * Governor of Jiangsu Province – Xu Jiatun
 * Governor of Jiangxi Province – Jiang Weiqing
 * Governor of Jilin Province – Wang Enmao
 * Governor of Liaoning Province – Zeng Shaoshan (until September), Ren Zhongyi (starting September)
 * Governor of Qinghai Province – Tan Qilong
 * Governor of Shaanxi Province – Wang Renzhong (until December), Wang Renzhong (starting December)
 * Governor of Shandong Province – Bai Rubing
 * Governor of Shanxi Province – Wang Qian
 * Governor of Sichuan Province – Zhao Ziyang
 * Governor of Yunnan Province – An Pingsheng
 * Governor of Zhejiang Province – Tie Ying

December

 * December 18 to 22 – 3rd Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee of the Communist Party was held. The conference marked the beginning of the "Reform and Opening Up" policy.

Undated

 * SIUI (Shantou Institute of Ultrasonic Instruments Co., Ltd) – ultrasound manufacturer is founded.

Deaths

 * 12 June – Guo Moruo, author, poet, historian, archaeologist, and government official (b. 1892)
 * 3 August – Luo Ruiqing, general (b. 1906)