The 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China.
The 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, a gathering that takes place every five years and this years event looks like the crowning of Xi Jinping.
Xi Jinping is currently in his first term as President of the People’s Republic of China and the General Secretary of the Communist Party of China, and Chairman of the Central Military Commission.
Xi will use the opening address on October 18th to outline the party’s priorities and probably on October 25th, a brief closing speech.
In the Communique of the Sixth Plenum of the 18th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party (C.C.P.), published October 27, 2016, Xi Jinping was mentioned as the core of the Party.
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Xi “thoughts” will be added to the party’s constitution. The “Four Comprehensives,” which refer to China working “comprehensively” to build a moderately prosperous society and strengthen reforms, rule of law and party discipline.
Chairman Xi, the “lingxiu” (leader)
Xi Jinping is expected to take “absolute power” of the country’s communist party and be named as Chairman – a title not held since Mao Zedong. Xi is currently head of the party but with the title general secretary, and with rule by consensus of the Standing Committee, which again is to be expected this week with promotions behind closed doors……
If he does become chairman, that will spell the end for the concept of collective leadership, said a senior Beijing-based Asian diplomat.
“He won’t have to answer to anyone,” the diplomat said.
The last Chinese leader to be given the chairman moniker was Mao.
Unveil a Potential Successor?
China’s constitution says that presidents can only serve two terms, some believe Xi could continue as General Secretary of the Communist Party and chief of China’s military, leaving a ceremonial president in place.
Sun Zhengcai, the party secretary of Chongqing, one of China’s largest cities, had been considered a successor to Mr Xi. Sun was the youngest member of the 18th Politburo of the Communist Party of China until he was expelled for ‘serious discipline violations’on September 29, 2017.
Left off the list released Friday, five top officials from the standing members of Chongqing’s Party Committee.
Zeng Qinghong, who oversaw personnel affairs at the municipal Party Committee, and Liu Qiang, who is in charge of the police and judicial departments in the city and is also a Chongqing vice mayor. Wang Xiangang, head of the secretariat of the Chongqing Party Committee; Chen Lüping, also a vice mayor; and Tao Changhai, who heads liaisons with overseas Chinese groups.
13 Chongqing elected officials were excluded from the list.
According to people related to the party and close to the administration, as well as diplomatic sources, the latest list of candidates is believed to have been drafted after the Beidaihe retreat, an unofficial meeting of Mr Xi and other party elders at the Beidaihe summer resort town in Hebei Province in mid-August.
According to the latest list, Mr Xi, 64, and Premier Li Keqiang, 62, are to stay in office. Mr Chen Miner, 56, who is Mr Xi’s close aide and Chongqing municipal committee secretary, will be promoted two ranks from his membership in the Central Committee.
Four officials – Vice-Premier Wang Yang, 62; Shanghai municipal committee secretary Han Zheng, 63; Guangdong provincial committee secretary Hu Chunhua, 54; and general office director Li Zhanshu, who will turn 67 this month – will be promoted from the Political Bureau.
According to the list, Vice-Premier Wang will become chairperson of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, and Mr Han will be chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference. Mr Hu will become vice-premier, Mr Li is to become central commission for discipline inspection secretary, and Mr Chen is to be in charge of publicity and ideology.
Mr Han, Mr Li and Mr Chen are close to Mr Xi, while Premier Li, Vice-Premier Wang and Mr Hu are influential members of the China Youth League faction, which had been a political base for former president Hu Jintao.
Mr Xi aims to further concentrate his political power by considering the resumption of the party presidential system that was adopted during the time of Mao Zedong. The latest list, however, seems to indicate Mr Xi’s efforts to strike a balance with Mr Hu’s faction.
According to people related to the party, former presidents Jiang Zemin and Hu Jintao, among others, attended the Beidaihe meeting. To prioritise solidarity within the party, Mr Xi’s proposals on personnel were basically approved, according to the sources.
Via the StraitsTimes
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