No heir apparent among Xi’s new leadership team
China’s president signals intention to rule for decades as he cements hold over Communist Party
XI JINPING has given the clearest indication yet that he intends to rule China for decades to come after he unveiled his new leadership team without anointing a potential successor.
At the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, the Chinese president yesterday unveiled a new Politburo Standing Committee – China’s top tier of political power – to help him rule China for his second five-year term.
The group of six officials will be too old to take his place when he is expected to step down in 2022, under China’s unwritten retirement rules.
The decision not to unveil a nextgeneration leader is a major shift from precedent, and suggests Mr Xi, 64, is setting the stage to prolong his rule as long as his health permits.
“You can see clearly as his status within the party rises that he will make it to a third term and even lead China for his lifetime,” said Wu Qiang, a political commentator.
“Maybe he will be like Putin, and be transferred to other posts before returning to be president, or he will step down but still play a key role in making decisions. All these are possible.”
The standing committee and the Politburo are supposedly appointed by 200 or so members of the Communist Party’s Central Committee. Those members were “elected” by more than 2,000 delegates who attended the recently concluded 19th Communist Party congress. In reality, political appointments are made by horse-trading and senior posts will be decided by Mr Xi and his allies.
The Chinese president has emerged as the country’s strongest leader for generations and the 19th Party Congress has seen him elevated to the political level of Mao Tse-tung after his ideology was enshrined into the country’s constitution.
Steven Tsang, the director of the China Institute at SOAS, University of London, said Mr Xi had increased his power to such an extent that it was no longer relevant that a next-generation leader had not been unveiled.
He told The Daily Telegraph: “I think it has become moot. Though this is a big deal in terms of the institutionalisation process post-deng Xiaoping,” referring to the leader who presided over a series of reforms in the 1980s. He called it a “step backward”.
After unveiling his new committee, Mr Xi said: “Over the past five years, we’ve done a lot and some work has been finished, and some we must continue. A new era needs a new look.” Among the new committee members are Zhao Leji, who will become the head of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, and Wang Huning, who is likely be in charge of ideology and propaganda. Li Zhanshu is expected to lead parliament while Wang Yang will become the new vicepremier, and Shanghai party chief Han Zheng will become an executive vicepremier.
Donald Trump congratulated Mr Xi last night. “Spoke to President Xi of China to congratulate him on his extraordinary elevation. Also discussed Noko [North Korea] & trade, two very important subjects!” the US president tweeted.
Additional reporting by Christine Wei