Xi Jinping’s ‘one man’ dictatorship begins with loyalist group

The ‘one man dictatorship’ era opens as Chinese President Xi Jinping has confirm‎ed his third term. He completely pulled down the 40-year-old collective leadership system by filling up all the members of the Central Committee Politburo with his closest people. With Xi not designating his successor and inserting ‘protection of Xi Jinping’s core position’ into the Communist Party Constitution, which holds a higher status than the national Constitution, he paved the way for a lifelong ruling.

Xi put up his name at the top (1st in the ranks) of the seven Standing Committee members announced on Sunday, on the following day of the 20th Chinese Communist Party Congress closing, and secured a minimum of five years of his ruling. As the 2nd in the ranks who will be nominated as the prime minister from the National People’s Congress scheduled for March 2023, Xi appointed Li Qiang, secretary of Shanghai Municipality, one of his closest aides. New members Cai Qi, secretary of Beijing Municipality, and 5th in the ranks, Ding Xuexiang, 6th in the ranks and head of the General Office, and Li Xi, 7th in the ranks and Secretary of Guangdong are all from Xi Jinping’s inner circle. The same applies to Zhao Leji, secretary for the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI), 3rd in the ranks, and Wang Huning, secretary for the Secretariat of the Party Central Committee and 4th in the ranks who remain as Standing Committee members.

Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang from Communist Youth League, a faction in competition against Xi, and Chairman Wang Yang from the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) were eliminated from the 205 party central members and stepped down from the top leadership. The two reformist members were driven out even if they did not reach the age of 68, the retirement age for the Chinese top leadership.


Ki-Yong Kim kky@donga.com