Speculation rife over Xi’s elite standing committee

BEIJING: Opinion is divided among Chinese academics and experts on who will be the new members of the Communist Party’s highest decision-making body and whether its strength will be reduced from seven to five.

The names of the new members are a secret and will be known only when President Xi Jinping leads them out to a stage at the Great Hall of the People on October 25, a day after the national congress of the Communist Party officially concludes.

In 2012, when Xi took over as general secretary of the party, the number of members of the standing committee of the politburo was reduced from nine to seven.

With four of the current members expected to retire, and uncertainty looming over whether anti-graft czar Wang Qishan will get a new post, there has been widespread speculation about the new members.

Hu Chunhua, the 54-year-old party secretary of Guangdong, and Chen Miner, 57, the party secretary of Chongqing, are seen as top contenders for the committee.

The other names being circulated are Wang Yang, 62, one of the four vice-premiers, and Li Zhanshu, 67, director of the party’s national security commission.

Real power in China lies with the standing committee, currently headed by Xi in his capacity as general secretary of the Communist Party.

Meetings of the committee are never made public and kept a closely guarded secret. Differences between leaders too are never allowed to come out in the open.

How the committee works is shrouded in mystery too but decisions are widely believed to be taken after intense negotiations.

According to Hu Xingdou, a Beijing-based economist and political commentator, the number of members in the standing committee will be cut.

“The committee number will be brought down to five. Cutting to five will be helpful for more centralised power which will be better for decision-making. China has always been known for its high efficiency in decisionmaking. No matter who is picked, he must follow Xi’s leadership, facilitate Xi’s plans and make it easier to form an efficient committee,” Hu said.