Sun shines on Xi on final day of China’s party congress, as Wang exits and Jiang runs out of steam
Anti-graft chief remains in character as he retires from the ruling elite, but the day belongs to the president as his name is written into history
After years of being described as stand-offish and aloof, Wang Qishan lived up to his reputation on Tuesday as he made a low-key exit from the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.
As the curtain fell on the 19th National Congress of China’s Communist Party, the 69-year-old veteran and public face of the country’s long-running anti-graft campaign, exchanged only a few words with Premier Li Keqiang, and fellow departing members of the Politburo Standing Committee Yu Zhengsheng and Zhang Gaoli before quietly leaving the stage.
Wang’s departure from the most powerful decision making body in China need not mean he is now destined to lead a life of obscurity, however. As anyone who followed the events in Beijing over the past week will have noticed, being “old” does not mean being forgotten.
Enter former President Jiang Zemin, who at 91 years of age managed to grab almost as much media attention as Xi Jinping.
He was once again seen chatting to Xi on Tuesday, although the strain of seven days of extended speeches, panel discussions and assorted other meetings appeared to be catching up with him.