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Programmes & Projects > The Up-coming 19th National Congress Of The Communist Party Of China
The up-coming 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China scheduled from 18-25 October 2017, in Beijing has become a focus of attention, both within and outside China. Once in every 5 years since the early 1980s, the party national congress has shown how elite politics in China is conducted—sometimes expected, otherwise not. This year too, an unexpected happened when a prominent Politburo member and a potential successor was purged. In the Spring of 2012, Bo Xilai was ejected, this year Sun Zhengcai, slated to succeed Xi Jinping, is brought down before the congress. Both were serving Chongqing Party secretaries before their dismissals.
Though the stage is set, and curtains drawn for unveiling the leaders among the ‘elected’ 2287 delegates, the CPC’s secrecy in anointing prospective candidates for various organs of the party—Politburo, Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, the Secretariat, Central Military Commission from the up-coming new central committee is still speculated.
Until now, rumours are rife with various candidates’ names doing rounds to occupy these powerful party positions, but under Xi Jinping’s all-embracing power, the mystery ensues as some of his confidants like Wang Qishan is slated to stay, and Chen Miner, one of Xi’s protégés is likely to jump the line to become the PBSC member. Thus, how will the leadership reshuffle take place at the congress will impact China’s political landscape in the coming future. The implications can have both internal and external.
Wang Qishan- Will he, will he not?
Xi Jinping’s Man Friday, Wang Qishan, the CCDI boss, and one of the current seven PBSC members is likely to retain his position. Although reaching 69 years of age, Wang, a close confidant of Xi may be blessed with another fiver year term. His close association with the ‘yibashou’—Mr. Xi, and the latter’s not so shy attitude to break the ‘existing norms’ have become friends with mutual benefits by bringing down cadres and detractors alike accused of ‘violation of party discipline.’ However, Wang’s speculated non-retirement if successfully realized will destabilize the ‘age norm’ criteria, a convention established to institutionalize succession politics.
Xi Jinping trying to retain Wang Qishan, a technocrat and professional, one can also see that the former trying to use Wang as a ‘pawn’ to test his power among the high politics at Beijing. If Wang’s position is retained, then Xi Jinping’s position can also be secured at the 20th Party Congress in 2022, when Xi will also be 69.
Prospective PBSC Members (First Seven)
'Bo-Wang-Sun'- Is Xi Jinping draining the swamp?
Last week, the revised delegates attending the 19th CPC National Congress on 18th October were reduced to 2287 members from the proposed 2300 delegates. The 13 delegates whose names that were ‘struck-off’ belonged to the Chongqing Municipality, and five were senior members of the Chongqing Municipal Party Standing Committee. The total delegates from Chongqing were 43, including Sun Zhengcai, the disgraced party secretary.
The five senior members are Zeng Qinghong (female), in-charge of the personnel affairs; Liu Qiang, in-charge of police and judicial & vice mayor; Wang Xiangang, head of secretariat of municipal committee; Chen Lüping, vice mayor; and Tao Changhai, liaison head, overseas Chinese groups.
The legacy of ‘Bo-Wang-Sun’ (BWS) has now haunted others down the administration as well. The rule of the game has become “winner takes all’ by draining the swamp, that is cleaning up the remnants of the BWS by Xi under Chen Miner and Wang Qishan’s stewardship again shows ruthless political struggle that leaves no tolerance for dissent and differences among the political elites.
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