Editorial | A Politburo without a female member is a disappointment
- China can benefit from a more diverse voice especially at a time of geopolitical tensions when projecting the right image is a challenge. Hopefully, the lack of female representation is a temporary exception
No woman is to be found in the new Politburo. Because this is a break with the informal practice for the past 20 years of having at least one woman on the Politburo and serving as a vice-premier, it is worth reflecting on the experience. Three have served during that time.
The first, Wu Yi, led the fight against Sars (severe acute respiratory syndrome) and played a leading negotiating role in China’s accession to the World Trade Organization. The second, Liu Yandong, is more associated with culture and social development.
The latest, Sun Chunlan, has been a high-profile field commander in the Covid campaign. Their track records vindicated the reservation of a place representing half the people, notwithstanding other criteria such as one measure or another of merit.
State news agency Xinhua says top leaders this time were selected through interviews and screening by inspection teams sent by President Xi Jinping. Loyalty to Xi topped criteria, followed by ability to bypass Western sanctions with hi-tech breakthroughs. Past experience at local and ministerial level is a key factor.
Political correctness did not weigh heavily, if at all. Nonetheless the new all-male line-up is widely seen as a step backwards. Moreover, only 11 women are to be found on the 205-member Central Committee, of whom nearly all hold university degrees. That distinction need not rule out women.
They are, after all, found in increasing numbers in various fields of science and technology, and now outnumber men in higher education institutions. Gone are the days when lack of education need disadvantage women with political aspirations, along with a consequential lack of experience.