Noel Celis | AFP | Getty Images BEIJING — Chinese President Xi Jinping broke precedent Sunday by paving the way for his third term as president and the possible appointment of a prime minister with no prior experience as vice president. Li Qiang, Shanghai’s party secretary, came second behind Xi at a press conference on Sunday. Li is a known Xi loyalist and oversaw strict Covid controls in Shanghai earlier this year. State positions such as president and premier will not be confirmed until the next annual meeting of the Chinese government, usually held in March. Outgoing Premier Li Keqiang had come second behind Xi in a similar press conference after the 19th National Party Congress concluded in 2017. Since Li Keqiang, all but the first prime minister of modern China have previously served as vice president. However, Li Qiang did not previously hold a vice-premier role, according to a state media biography. In addition to Xi and Li Qiang, five other people were appointed to the new standing committee of the Politburo, the core of the ruling Chinese Communist Party: Zhao Leji, who heads party discipline; Wang Huning, known for his work on ideology. Beijing party secretary Cai Qi. Ding Suexiang, known as Xi’s chief of staff, and Li Xi, Guangdong party secretary. Chinese President Xi Jinping (C) and other members of the Politburo Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China meet the media at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on October 23, 2022. Noel Celis | AFP | Getty Images In remarks on Sunday, Xi stressed the Party’s leadership in “a new journey to transform China into a modern socialist country,” according to an official translation. He said that China cannot develop in isolation from the world, but that the world also needs China. Xi asserted that China will open its door “wider and wider” and that the country will “deepen reforms and broadly open up and pursue high-quality development.” Four of the previous seven members of the Politburo standing committee did not make the list of new central committee members announced on Saturday. The only three left were Xi, Wang Huning and Zhao Leji. This central committee determines the core leadership – the Politburo and its standing committee. Top-level economic policy in China is largely determined by members of the Politburo. However, Li Keqiang has been an official figure and implementation leader in his role as premier and head of the State Council, China’s highest executive body. Xi holds three key positions: general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party, chairman of the Central Military Commission, and president of China. Xi had set the stage for an unprecedented third, five-year term as president with constitutional changes in 2018. In addition to purging allegedly corrupt officials, Xi has consolidated his power over the past decade with groups that have outlined the typical economic policymaking responsibilities of a prime minister, Reuters pointed out.
Read more about China from CNBC Pro
Notable ministry heads who remained on the new list of the party’s central committee were:
He Lifeng, head of the National Development and Reform Commission Yi Huiman, head of the China Securities Regulatory Commission Zhuang Rongwen, head of the Cyberspace Administration of China
NDRC’s He was also named to the new Politburo. Bruce Pang, chief economist and head of Greater China research at JLL, said some of the central committee appointees have experience in finance and local government, indicating to him that “the shakeup will not lead to dramatic changes in its macroeconomic policies China. “ “We expect that the policy focus will not be on launching new incentives, but on implementing existing policies and starting them to take effect,” Pang said. “Strengthening domestic demand to support jobs therefore remains key.” Pang also noted that Li Qiang previously led three province-level regions, including Shanghai, which are known for their contribution to China’s “opening up” and economic development.
Emphasis on safety and quality
Xi’s opening speech at the party’s 20th National Congress reaffirmed China’s greater focus on national security and “high-quality” development. In fact, this shift away from the high-speed growth of the past few decades means China is facing “a new situation to attract foreign investment,” said an official at the economic planner. While Xi’s report to the conference “delivers a strong message on policy continuity,” it signals that there are competing goals and that some kinds of economic growth are preferred over others, Gabriel Wildau, managing director at consultancy Teneo, said in a note. “Party leaders want advanced manufacturing and technology to be the key drivers of growth,” Wildau said. Xi also stressed the need for unity within the Chinese Communist Party in order to achieve “national revitalization.” The 20th National Congress, which ended on Saturday, agreed to amend the national constitution to incorporate more “Xi Thought”, according to state media.
Question of succession
For many China watchers, the question is not how Xi consolidates power, but who his successor might be. Under Xi, China’s bureaucracy has become less autonomous and more tied to him personally — especially since there are few checks on power, Yuen Yuen Ang, an associate professor of political science at the University of Michigan, wrote in the Journal of Democracy in July. The threat to the Chinese Communist Party’s hold on power, he said, “will be succession battles arising from Xi’s personal rule.”
title: “China Names Xi Jinping Loyalists As Core Leadership Group " ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-13” author: “Yvette Alvarez”
Noel Celis | AFP | Getty Images BEIJING — Chinese President Xi Jinping broke precedent Sunday by paving the way for his third term as president and the possible appointment of a prime minister with no prior experience as vice president. Li Qiang, Shanghai’s party secretary, came second behind Xi at a press conference on Sunday. Li is a known Xi loyalist and oversaw strict Covid controls in Shanghai earlier this year. State positions such as president and premier will not be confirmed until the next annual meeting of the Chinese government, usually held in March. Outgoing Premier Li Keqiang had come second behind Xi in a similar press conference after the 19th National Party Congress concluded in 2017. Since Li Keqiang, all but the first prime minister of modern China have previously served as vice president. However, Li Qiang did not previously hold a vice-premier role, according to a state media biography. In addition to Xi and Li Qiang, five other people were appointed to the new standing committee of the Politburo, the core of the ruling Chinese Communist Party: Zhao Leji, who heads party discipline; Wang Huning, known for his work on ideology. Beijing party secretary Cai Qi. Ding Suexiang, known as Xi’s chief of staff, and Li Xi, Guangdong party secretary. Chinese President Xi Jinping (C) and other members of the Politburo Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China meet the media at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on October 23, 2022. Noel Celis | AFP | Getty Images In remarks on Sunday, Xi stressed the Party’s leadership in “a new journey to transform China into a modern socialist country,” according to an official translation. He said that China cannot develop in isolation from the world, but that the world also needs China. Xi asserted that China will open its door “wider and wider” and that the country will “deepen reforms and broadly open up and pursue high-quality development.” Four of the previous seven members of the Politburo standing committee did not make the list of new central committee members announced on Saturday. The only three left were Xi, Wang Huning and Zhao Leji. This central committee determines the core leadership – the Politburo and its standing committee. Top-level economic policy in China is largely determined by members of the Politburo. However, Li Keqiang has been an official figure and implementation leader in his role as premier and head of the State Council, China’s highest executive body. Xi holds three key positions: general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party, chairman of the Central Military Commission, and president of China. Xi had set the stage for an unprecedented third, five-year term as president with constitutional changes in 2018. In addition to purging allegedly corrupt officials, Xi has consolidated his power over the past decade with groups that have outlined the typical economic policymaking responsibilities of a prime minister, Reuters pointed out.
Read more about China from CNBC Pro
Notable ministry heads who remained on the new list of the party’s central committee were:
He Lifeng, head of the National Development and Reform Commission Yi Huiman, head of the China Securities Regulatory Commission Zhuang Rongwen, head of the Cyberspace Administration of China
NDRC’s He was also named to the new Politburo. Bruce Pang, chief economist and head of Greater China research at JLL, said some of the central committee appointees have experience in finance and local government, indicating to him that “the shakeup will not lead to dramatic changes in its macroeconomic policies China. “ “We expect that the policy focus will not be on launching new incentives, but on implementing existing policies and starting them to take effect,” Pang said. “Strengthening domestic demand to support jobs therefore remains key.” Pang also noted that Li Qiang previously led three province-level regions, including Shanghai, which are known for their contribution to China’s “opening up” and economic development.
Emphasis on safety and quality
Xi’s opening speech at the party’s 20th National Congress reaffirmed China’s greater focus on national security and “high-quality” development. In fact, this shift away from the high-speed growth of the past few decades means China is facing “a new situation to attract foreign investment,” said an official at the economic planner. While Xi’s report to the conference “delivers a strong message on policy continuity,” it signals that there are competing goals and that some kinds of economic growth are preferred over others, Gabriel Wildau, managing director at consultancy Teneo, said in a note. “Party leaders want advanced manufacturing and technology to be the key drivers of growth,” Wildau said. Xi also stressed the need for unity within the Chinese Communist Party in order to achieve “national revitalization.” The 20th National Congress, which ended on Saturday, agreed to amend the national constitution to incorporate more “Xi Thought”, according to state media.
Question of succession
For many China watchers, the question is not how Xi consolidates power, but who his successor might be. Under Xi, China’s bureaucracy has become less autonomous and more tied to him personally — especially since there are few checks on power, Yuen Yuen Ang, an associate professor of political science at the University of Michigan, wrote in the Journal of Democracy in July. The threat to the Chinese Communist Party’s hold on power, he said, “will be succession battles arising from Xi’s personal rule.”
