Ideology rules in top China team

Xi Jinping has introduced to the world his new political team members, but none seems destined to succeed him.

Xi Jinping at the congress with his new political team. Picture: Getty Images

Chinese President Xi Jinping yesterday led out on to the world stage his new top political team — none of whom appear likely to succeed him.

The move means Mr Xi is set to remain in office for a further 10 years, or longer — unprecedented in the post-Mao Zedong era in which the ruling Communist Party has avoided personality cults developing around leaders.

The new Politburo Standing Committee of seven members — Mr Xi reduced it at the last five-yearly party congress from nine — is strong on party organisation and ideology.

It was elected at the first meeting of the new central committee of the party yesterday, a day after the party congress added to its constitution “Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era”, alongside “Mao Zedong Thought” and “Deng Xiaoping Theory”.

The only surviving members are Mr Xi, 64, and Premier Li Keqiang, 62, the head of the government whose role is relegated, essentially, to implementing party policy — insofar as the two can be separated.

The newcomers are:

Li Zhanshu, 67, director of the party’s general office and effectively Mr Xi’s chief of staff and political adviser;

Wang Yang, 62, a vice premier who has directed trade policy;

Wang Huning, 62, director of the party’s central policy research office, a key ideological leader who has been speechwriter to Mr Xi;

Zhao Leji, 60, who heads the central organisation department that determines who gets key jobs in the party, the big state-owned enterprises and the government; and

Han Zheng, 63, Shanghai party chief who may be expected to become the top economic planner.

This Politburo Standing Committee has less authority than predecessors, allowing Mr Xi simply to wield greater personal power than any leader since Mao.

Instead of leaning on the committee, he tends to seek policy advice from the dozen or more “leading small groups” of his ­appointees, which he mostly chairs personally, on core issues ranging from security to the internet to economic reform. Mr Zhao is likely to succeed as party disciplinarian Wang Qishan, Mr Xi’s closest ally in the previous leadership team, who is stepping down as he has exceeded the age — 68 — when party convention requires leaders below the top to retire.

Mr Wang has built the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection — which punishes party cadres perceived to be politically disloyal or corrupt — into the most feared and powerful agency in China, and it is about to bulk up as a nationwide supervisory commission overseeing all officials in the country.

Mr Xi praised the commission at the official closing of the party congress on Tuesday for “cutting like a blade through corruption and misconduct”. Speaking in front of a party flag dominated by the hammer and sickle, after unveiling the new team, Mr Xi greeted China’s “new era”, adding the party “must get a new look and more importantly make new ­accomplishments”.

He anticipated presiding over important anniversaries during his next five-year term, including in next year’s 40th year of “reform and opening up” the economy, which was launched by Deng, the 70th year of the People’s Republic of China in 2019, and the centenary of the party in 2021.

By eschewing the promotion of any likely successor, Mr Xi has avoided any prospect of his being viewed as a lame duck as the next party congress approaches in 2022, as happens to US presidents nearing the end of their second four-year terms.

The new Politburo of 25, also elected yesterday, does contain potential successors, but by ­convention they would need to gain further experience on the PSC before being ready for the top job. Sun Chunlan, 67, head of the party’s united front work department, is the only woman among the 25. By gaining so much personal power for what is expected to be such a long period ahead, Mr Xi places himself under considerable expectation. He must be prepared to take the blame for any setback, as well as receiving the glory for successes, and basking in the big anniversary celebrations.