All of Xi’s men
They square around him and everything related to old politics is wiped out (including people). At the last congress of the Communist Party of China, Xi Jinping left no doubt as to who holds power. The Economist article
The choreography of the Chinese Communist Party's five-year congress hasn't changed much in recent decades. It begins with the party leader who delivers an archaic and often impenetrable report to the approximately 2,300 party delegates present. During the week, these delegates echo the views of their leader and vote for the new Central Committee, a body made up of some 370 high-ranking officials, military commanders and other personalities. It all ends with the grand unveiling ceremony of the party's supreme decision-making body, the Politburo Standing Committee. Overall, this is a rather boring event. This year, however, there have been more drama than usual, including the mysterious departure of a former leader – writes The Economist .
It was no surprise that Xi Jinping first took the stage on October 23, leading the new seven-member Standing Committee. He had made it clear that he intended to break the recent retirement rules and remain as party general secretary and head of the military. He was duly granted a third five-year term in both positions (he will also be reconfirmed as president of state in the annual session of next year's legislature, probably in March). The congress was in many ways a showcase of Xi's power.
Since Xi's position was not in doubt, all eyes were on the six men following him. In the past, committee members had ties to different party factions, with the result that decision making took place collectively. Those times are over. Xi dominated the former standing committee. This is almost his property.
Starting with those who did not appear on stage. At 67, Li Keqiang, China's prime minister, is young enough to keep his seat on the Standing Committee. He had long been seen as a possible candidate for the posts that Xi now holds. But he and Wang Yang (also 67), who was once considered a possible successor to Li, have been removed from the committee. Two other members, Li Zhanshu and Han Zheng, who had reached the normal retirement age (68), were also removed. Four men linked to Xi were promoted in their place.
The most prominent of these is Li Qiang, a senior Party official in Shanghai and Xi's protégé. He is expected to be appointed prime minister in March, despite not having held the post of deputy prime minister, which is a normal requirement for the post. Shanghai residents may see his promotion as an affront. Earlier this year, Li oversaw an absurd month-long city closure to crack down on Covid-19. Xi, however, has reason to favor Li: at the beginning of this century, when Xi was the party head of Zhejiang Province, Li was its cabinet chief. Xi may also be grateful to Li for his steadfastness during the Covid outbreak in Shanghai. The president loudly supports China's tough "zero Covid" policy.
The other new members of the Standing Committee also have close ties to Xi. One is Cai Qi, party secretary of Beijing, who held several senior positions in Zhejiang when Xi was in office. Another is Li Xi, party leader from Guangdong, a rich southern province. His family is said to have ties to Xi's that date back decades. He is now primarily responsible for party discipline. A third is Ding Xuexiang, Xi's chief of staff.
Xi's hegemony was built on the sinking of the rules that once seemed to govern the party. By accepting a third term, he has broken the expectation that party leaders will hold office for a decade at most, as did his last predecessor, Hu Jintao. None of the new members of the Standing Committee are considered a probable successor. It was also once thought that officials over the age of 67 would not take top positions. This is no longer the case. Xi is 69 and his new general, Zhang Youxia, is 72.
The changes to the party's statute, announced on the last day of the congress, also strengthened Xi's authority. These include new demands on party members to protect Xi's position at the "center" of the party's leadership. Now it is only described in the most high-sounding terms. According to a resolution approved by the congress, the elevation of Xi "initiated the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on an irreversible historical path".
But the most dramatic moment of the congress came during the closing session, when a frail-looking Hu Jintao was escorted out of the event. Hu, who was sitting next to Xi, appeared confused and reluctant to leave as he was helped out of his chair by two officials. The other leaders sat with stone faces as he was led to the exit. A few hours later, Chinese state media reported that Hu, who is 79, felt ill.
Observers are divided over whether Hu's exit is somehow related to politics. But, even if only for health reasons, his exit had an involuntary symbolism: Congress wiped out politicians linked to Xi's predecessors (including Hu Chunhua, who lost his seat in the Politburo). Xi is now surrounded by his men. His grip on power has never been so tight.
(Extract from the foreign press review by eprcomunicazione )
This is a machine translation from Italian language of a post published on Start Magazine at the URL https://www.startmag.it/mondo/tutti-gli-uomini-di-xi/ on Sun, 30 Oct 2022 06:23:59 +0000.