After the 18th National Congress, China's new seven member-strong committee has been announced.
Xi Jinping in relaxed mood Image: |
After much speculation from political analysts, China formally announced the official roster for the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau, the nation’s top governing body.
The Committee was downsized, as expected, from nine to seven members in order to ensure stronger policy making and quicker party response times.
While the party’s opaque lineage system leaves much room for speculation, the line-up is far from unexpected, with the only two remaining members from the former Polit Bureau Standing Committee moving into the top spots. Xi Jinping, 59, was elected party chief and will become the fully-fledged president next spring. The role of second in command has gone to Li Keqiang, 57.
In an unusual move, Hu Jintao relinquished his role as Chairman of the Central Military Commission to Xi Jinping earlier than expected. Many analysts had predicted Hu would, like former President Jiang Zemin, remain Chairman until as late as 2014, when he would be formally required to step down. The move may be indicative of a deeper trust in the new party leaders.
Hard-liner, Wang Qishan, known to some as ‘the firefighter’, has been appointed the head of the party’s Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and is expected to crackdown on official corruption and misuses of power. Nonetheless, the appointment will see the former president of China Construction Bank Corp removed from day-to-day economic policy, which some feel may not be the best use of his significant talent.
The remaining leadership list is comprised of Zhang Dejiang, Yu Zhengsheng, Liu Yunshan and Zhang Gaoli. Many had earmarked staunch reform advocates Wang Yang and Li Yuanchao for a place in the highest echelon of Chinese political power, however sources claim their outspoken policies were not popular with the Party elders.