Li Keqiang and Wang Yang, two moderate and respected personalities, were pushed towards the exit, as well as former President Hu Jintao. Conversely, several hawks have been promoted.
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Many observers expected that Xi Jinping is still reinforced from the 20
Since 2002, a rule prevailed within the party leadership: you could still be promoted to 67 years old but had to retire during the congress which follows your 68 e anniversary. A way of avoiding, after the excess of Maoism, that a man remains too long in power and calls into question the collective direction that the seven members of the permanent committee of the political bureau, real masters of the country.
XI Jinping who, like his predecessors, combines the functions of President of the Republic, secretary general of the CCP and president of the Central Military Commission, had already broken a taboo in 2018 by modifying the Constitution to be able to exercise more of two presidential terms and therefore stay in power as long as he wishes.
But, so far, we did not know if the age limit continued to apply to other leaders. The answer fell on Saturday 22, with the designation by the congress of the 205 members of the central committee, this body which designates the twenty-five members of the political bureau within it and within the famous seven members of the permanent committee . The rule “at 67 you stay, at 68 you are going” is no longer worth.
aged only 67 years old, Li Keqiang and Wang Yang, respectively Prime Minister and President of the Advisory Commission of the Chinese people, are pushed towards the exit. These are two moderate and respected personalities. Li Keqiang was even the only leader to embody another, more liberal policy. On the other hand, Wang Yi, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, remains on the central committee although he is 69 years old. Many believe that he could succeed Yang Jiechi at the head of the diplomatic apparatus of the Communist Party.
Another notorious exception: although 72 years old, General Zhang Youxia, second vice-president of the Central Military Commission, also remains in the Committee. He should even be promoted first vice-president of this commission chaired by Xi Jinping in person. While their two fathers were already close before the accession of communists in power in 1949, Zhang was considered an ally of XI, helping him for years to impose reforms on a popular army of sometimes reluctance.
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