Former aide to ex-Chinese president Hu Jintao promoted to ministerial post
Analysts have speculated move is way of appeasing faction centred on the ex-head of state after another of his former assistants was placed under investigation for alleged corruption
A former aide of ex-president Hu Jintao has been promoted to a ministerial level government position in China weeks after another official who carried out a similar role came under investigation for alleged corruption.
Chen Shiju has been appointed deputy head of the office in the central government dealing with “spiritual civilisation”, a department in the Communist Party leading efforts to build a “harmonious socialist society”, the People’s Daily reported. Chen will continue his current role as a deputy director of the party's Central Committee General Office.
Media speculation outside the mainland has suggested that Chen’s promotion may be aimed at creating unity within the party.
It was announced last month that another former presidential aide of Hu, Ling Jihua, was facing a graft probe as part of the government’s sweeping crackdown on corruption.
Analysts have speculated that promoting Chen was a way of appeasing the “tuanpai” faction surrounding former president Hu, a group of cadres centred on the ex-head of state with links to the Communist Youth League.
Chen, 51, first became a personal aide to Hu in 1986 when the ex-president was Communist Party boss in the southwestern province of Guizhou.