Inner Mongolia party chief Hu Chunhua seen making Politburo Standing Committee in 2017
The party chief in Inner Mongolia - a favourite to win a seat on the Politburo Standing Committee in the reshuffle that is five years away - has become the first cadre to pledge loyalty to the new leadership.
Hu Chunhua , known as "Little Hu" for following in the footsteps of President Hu Jintao , told a regional cadre meeting yesterday "party members should be on the same path as the party led by general secretary Xi Jinping ".
Xi was named national party chief during the leadership reshuffle that concluded on Thursday, succeeding President Hu Jintao .
Party leaders traditionally groom successors in the younger generation.
Little Hu, 49, is seen as a protégé of the president. Both started their political careers in the party youth league and spent time in Tibet.
Hu Chunhua stands to join the Standing Committee in the 2017 leadership reshuffle. The committee, which now consists of seven members, makes key decisions, including those concerning economic policy and security.