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Chinese President Xi Jinping unveiled a new leadership team on Sunday dominated by his allies as he entered his precedent breaking third term. The newly constituted 20th CPC central committee held first plenary session on Sunday and elected Xi Jinping as the General Secretary of the ruling Communist Party for the third time. It also elected the new 24 member politburo and seven members of its standing committee headed by Xi. With this, Xi further consolidated his power as he crushed the party factionalism, removing four out of seven members of the previous standing committee.
A day after China wrapped up its top political meeting – the party congress, President Xi Jinping walked into Beijing’s Great Hall of the People followed by members of the Communist Party’s new Politburo Standing Committee in descending ranking order. Shanghai party chief Li Qiang was the first member behind Xi to walk into a hall packed with journalists, confirming his second-in-command position in hierarchy and signaling that he will become the country’s next premier. According to state news agency Xinhua, the new hierarchy order of the Politburo is party General Secretary Xi Jinping, 69, Li Qiang, 63, Zhao Leji, 65, Wang Huning, 67, Cai Qi, 66, Ding Xuexiang, 60 and Li Xi, 66. Most have previously worked with the Xi over the years as he climbed the ranks of the party.
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 engage with non-communist parties. Li Xi is head of the powerful anti-corruption body, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, taking over from Zhao Leji.
For the first time in a quarter century, there will no women in the Politburo after the retirement of its sole female member Sun Chunlan, a vice premier and China’s top pandemic handler. Analysts said that Xi loyalists at the highest positions of power in China indicates that Xi’s policies will be executed in the next decade with servitude. With Xi surrounded by loyalists, analysts say the party factionalism and infighting that marked the tenures of his predecessors Hu Jintao and Jiang Zemin will be reigned in.
Vice Premier Hu Chunhua, a protege of former President Hu Jintao who had been seen as possible contender for premier, was even excluded from the Politburo, not to mention Xi’s inner circle. In a shocking development on Saturday, former President Hu Jintao, 79, sitting on the left of President Xi, was mysteriously escorted out from the presidium at the Beijing’s Great Hall of the People in the full media glare, before the twice-a-decade National Congress concluded. Xinhua later released a statement clarifying that he was not well to crush the rumours about the reasons behind his abrupt exit.
On Saturday, nearly 2,300 party delegates chose a new Central Committee composed of 205 voting members marked the biggest reshuffle in the top leadership shuffle in recent times with about two third new members inducted. The new central committee met for the first time on Sunday behind closed doors to vote on candidates for the Politburo Standing Committee led by Xi as general secretary, and the larger Politburo – a grouping of political elites in China. Some of the current leaders were dropped including Premier Li Keqiang, as well as senior official Wang Yang, who had been seen as a contender for Xi’s second-in-command, both from Communist Youth League faction.
At the just concluded 20th party congress, Xi was selected as the head of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the CPC Central Military Commission but his presidency – which is the state position – will be renewed in March next year at the annual “Two Sessions” of China’s rubber-stamp parliament, for a third time as he got a two-term limit removed from China’s constitution in 2018, opening the door for him to rule for life. Some other governmental positions including the Premier of China’s State Council will also be confirmed in March at the National People’s Congress, China’s rubber-stamp parliament. Till that time, Li Keqing will continue as Premier.
Apart from breaking many precedents, 20th party congress under Xi’s dominance also toyed with the customary rule of “7 up 8 down” meaning a leader with 67 years of age will stay in the central committee and politburo but 68 years of age will lead him to retire. This has shattered the succession plan in Chinese politics which was in place since Deng Xiaoping as Xi has not announced his successor which – as per the previous norms – should have been done at the 19th party congress in 2017.
In remarks to Sunday’s briefing, Xi said his administration would be on “high alert” for the challenges ahead – continuation from his speech at the opening of the congress when he put national security agenda at the top. The new Chinese leadership is taking over at a time when Beijing navigates a slowing economy and increasing tensions with the Western nations led by the US over a range of issues. “We will not be daunted by high winds, choppy waters or even dangerous storms,” he said.
China would “always champion the common values of humanity” as the world grapples with “unprecedented challenges,” he added. “When all countries pursue the cause of common good, we can live in harmony, engage in cooperation for mutual benefit and join hands to create a brighter future for the world,” he said. “Just as China cannot develop in isolation from the world, the world needs China for its development.”
On Saturday, 20th party congress also adopted amendments to the party constitution aimed at cementing the core status of Xi, closer to that of modern China’s founding father, Mao Zedong. It also further incorporated Xi’s political thoughts in the party constitution indicating his unchallenged power. Other notable amendments are inclusion of Xi’s flagship “Common Prosperity goal”, two Centenary Goals, “fighting spirit”, enhancing political loyalty in the military and statement on “resolutely opposing and deterring separatists seeking “Taiwan independence”” – noticeably strong language as compared to the previous reference of “strengthening the unity of all the chinese people incl. in Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Regions and Taiwan.