R Krishna Das
Xi Jinping secured a historic third term as China’s leader on Sunday with an unprecedented shake-up at the top, promoting some of his closest Communist Party allies, interestingly all over 60 years in age.
By retiring the four veterans, Xi opened four seats at the top for the promotion of his choice of younger leaders. According to state news agency Xinhua, the new hierarchy order of the Politburo is party secretary Xi Jinping (69), Li Qiang (63), Zhao Leji (65), Wang Huning (67), Cai Qi (66), Ding Xuexiang (60) and Li Xi (66).
Rising stars include Li Qiang, Li Xi, Ding Xuexiang and Cai Qi, who have been promoted to China’s highest decision-making body that will steer the ruling Communist Party for the next five years. By bringing the new faces into his core team, Xi has laid the foundation for his rule for the next five years and beyond. He has also cemented his position as the nation’s most powerful leader since Mao Zedong.
Given the sequence, Li Qiang will become China’s next premier. Cai Qi is the first secretary of the party’s secretariat – taking over from Wang Huning. He will be responsible for the day-to-day running of key party affairs.
According to reports, Zhao Leji, now ranked third, is likely to head the National People’s Congress, while Wang Huning will take over the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, an important platform to mobilise outside party resources and support. Li Xi is head of the powerful anti-corruption body, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, taking over from Zhao Leji.
The key state and government positions will only be officially confirmed at the annual national legislative sessions in March. The size of the Politburo has been reduced to 24, one person fewer than last time, and there is no woman member.
Xi Jinping did not fully follow an unwritten retirement rule as he reshuffled the Communist Party leadership at the just-concluded 20th Communist Party congress. An eye-catching absence from the newly elected Central Committee was Chen Quanguo, the former party boss of both Xinjiang and Tibet. Chen was not among the 205 committee members whose names were announced at the close of the week-long national congress on Saturday.
It was a glaring omission as Chen is 66, still below the accepted retirement age of 68 for party and state leaders. He was promoted to the Politburo, the party’s highest policy making body, five years ago.
