Beijing Xi Jinping remains head of the Chinese Communist Party, cementing his power. As expected, the party leadership voted in Beijing on Sunday for a third five-year term for the 69-year-old as general secretary. What is surprising, however, is the appointment of Shanghai Party Secretary Li Qiang as the new number two. He is also considered the likely successor to Li Keqiang as prime minister.
Li Qiang had been criticized for the two-month corona lockdown in the financial metropolis, which cast doubt on his appointment. In addition, the 63-year-old has no experience in the central government, which was previously a prerequisite for managerial positions. But Li is considered a close companion and confidante of Xi.
Other members of the seven-member, innermost leadership circle of the Communist Party, the so-called Standing Committee of the Politburo, are the former head of the powerful Disciplinary Commission Zhao Leji, chief ideologue Wang Huning, the Beijing Party Secretary Cai Qi, the former chief of staff and close Xi confidant Ding Xuexiang, and Party Secretary of southern China’s Guangdong Province Li Xi. Due to their age, neither man is considered a possible successor to Xi Jinping. This indicates that the party leader wants to remain in power beyond the third term.
Around 2,300 delegates met behind closed doors for a week. The framework for the development of the party and the country over the next five years was set and the new Central Committee (ZK) was determined. At its first meeting on Sunday, the 20th Central Committee then appointed the so-called Politburo and its Standing Committee, the party’s supreme governing body.
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Speaking at the unveiling of the new leadership of the Communist Party, Party leader Xi stressed that China remains committed to an open-door policy. The development of the People’s Republic is inseparable from the world and the “world also needs China,” he added. Western politicians and company representatives, however, increasingly doubt such lip service.
Xi ousts reformers and rallies loyalists
It had already become clear on Saturday that rather moderate politicians such as former Prime Minister Li Keqiang and Vice Prime Minister Wang Yang were being ousted. They do not belong to the new Central Committee and are therefore excluded from managerial positions, although they have not yet reached the unofficial age limit.
Vice Premier Hu Chunhua, a protégé of former party leader Hu Jintao, who was considered a possible contender for the post of prime minister, was also apparently demoted. He belongs neither to the innermost circle of leaders nor to the 24-strong Politburo.
Other prominent representatives who were responsible for the economic course are also no longer represented on the 370-strong Central Committee, including Vice Premier Liu He, Central Bank Governor Yi Gang, Finance Minister Liu Kun and the head of banking supervision, Guo Shuqing (66).
Xi has gathered a loyalist team and broke with party traditions, Yang Zhang of the American University’s School of International Service (SIS) commented on Twitter. He speaks of a “full line victory for the Xi men” and the “birth of an unrestricted supreme leader”. While this does not come as a complete surprise, the scale of the show of force exceeds expectations.
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At the end of its week-long session on Saturday, the party congress, which takes place only every five years, also anchored Xi’s ideology and permanent leadership role even more deeply in the party statute and demanded unconditional loyalty.
However, contrary to what some observers expected, Xiism was not shortened from “Xi Jinping’s Ideas of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics in the New Age” to “Xi Jinping’s Ideas”. This is important in party logic. The short form would have put Xi on a par with the founder of the state, Mao Zedong.
With the exception of the so-called work report, the abridged version of which Xi Jinping read out at the opening of the party congress last Sunday, few further details about the decisions of the party congress have become known. The work report provides a framework for developments over the next five years. But it is intentionally very general and leaves a lot of room for interpretation. Many of the goals mentioned will only be filled with content in the coming months and years.
>>Read also: Communist Party strengthens party leader Xi – predecessor Hu is led out of the hall in front of running cameras
A video of the final session of the party congress in the Great Hall of the People further fueled speculation. It shows Xi’s predecessor as head of state and party, Hu Jintao, being escorted out of the hall. The 79-year-old, who is considered to be in poor health, seems to be reluctant to follow the request. Most of the leading cadres watched the scene without emotion. What the incident meant remained unclear.
The former President of China is escorted out of the hall. President Xi Jingping (front row, far right) shows no reaction.
(Photo: AP)
The state news agency Xinhua mentioned health reasons on Twitter. The state TV’s major evening news showed Hu casting a vote, though his empty chair was also visible. But the fact that the scene occurred after international press had been admitted suggests it was intended for the general public.
Hu Jintao is believed to be the head of what was once a powerful, moderate faction in the Communist Youth League, which has lost much of its influence under Xi’s aegis. This was also illustrated by the early departures of Li Keqiang, Hu Chunhua and Wang Yang.
Hu handed power to Xi in 2012, after ten years as Secretary-General, in the first fully orderly leadership change at the top of the party since the founding of the People’s Republic in 1949. He represents the old “collective” leadership model, with representatives from different factions and with age and term limits, over which Xi has now defied with his third term.
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