China's leader Xi Jinping began his unprecedented third term in the country's modern history with a major reshuffle of the Communist Party (CCP) leadership that includes the removal of several heavyweights such as current Prime Minister Li Keqiang, which allows him to take over the high positions with allies of his trust.
After the closing ceremony of the 20th CPC Congress held this Saturday, the list with the new members of the new Central Committee, the group of 205 members (plus about 170 alternates) that leads the Party, was announced. As stated in its statutes, the members of the Politburo (25 members) and the Permanent Committee (7 members), the highest body of power of the formation, will leave this Sunday.
In the list published today, four names of the current Standing Committee do not appear, which means that they will not be able to occupy a new high position and that their positions may be occupied by loyalists to Xi, who is mentioned and it is assumed that will stay in front.
Among the outgoing, the figure of Premier Li, 67, stands out. During his tenure, this economic liberal has been pushed into the corner by Xi, who has assumed some of the traditional duties of the post, and has remained discreetly in the background. Months ago, he announced that he would leave office next March after completing his two terms, although some believed that he could remain on the Standing Committee assuming other functions.
In addition to number two in the country, the president of the National People's Assembly, Li Zhansu (72 years old), does not appear on the list; the president of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, Wang Yang (67 years old), one of the names that sounded the strongest as a possible replacement for Li; and Vice Premier Han Zheng (68 years old).
"Xi is likely to now dominate the next Standing Committee with six or seven of its seats (divided) between him and his people," which will allow him to have greater support when developing his policies, analyzed Neil Thomas, an analyst at Chinese politics in Eurasia Group. Among the names that sound the loudest in the pools are the head of the CCP in Chongqing, Chen Min'er; the head of the party in Shanghai, Li Quiang; the director of the General Office of the Central Committee, Ding Xuexiang; or Li Xi, among others.
The final composition of the Standing Committee will be announced tomorrow, Sunday, in an orchestrated event in which, led by Xi, its members will make an appearance on a red carpet in order of importance in the new organization chart. Many eyes will also be attentive to whether among its components a possible replacement for the president in the future can be guessed.
Today's meeting at the Great Hall of the People also served to unanimously introduce some modifications to the party's statutes that strengthen the president and reaffirm him as the "hard core" of the PCCh and his ideas as the party's guiding principles. Since Mao Zedong, no other leader in China had had his political doctrine included in the party constitution while he was still in office.
The 2,300 delegates gathered in Beijing this week also elected a new Central Commission for Inspection and Discipline, the powerful anti-corruption body that in Xi's decade at the helm has investigated some 5 million Party members for wrongdoing.
The closing of the congress also served to support the work report presented last Sunday by Xi during the opening of the meeting. Throughout almost two hours of speech, the president established the path to be followed by the country in the next five years, an intervention in which he highlighted his defense of the zero covid policy as the best remedy to save lives, the party's commitment to safeguard national security or the strengthening of an army capable of winning conflicts.
The final session left an unusual impression when former President Hu Jintao (2003-2013), who was sitting right next to Xi, was ushered out of the room where the closing ceremony was taking place. In the images captured of the moment, the former leader, who will turn 80 in December, seems at first reluctant to leave his site, although he later leaves arm in arm with one of the beadles. On his way, he is seen exchanging a few words with Xi, who nods, and patting outgoing Premier Li Keqiang on the shoulder.
Without official explanation at the moment, the incident gave free rein to different theories and speculations about what happened. While some point out that it could be the staging of an internal purge with public ridicule, others point out that it could be an indisposition or physical discomfort that made his departure advisable.
