China’s Xi Jinping looks beyond old power bases as he nurtures new allies, expands talent pool
Senior positions filled by technocrats and those who’ve worked their way up from grass roots, as well as former aides
The string of new faces recently appointed to senior Communist Party positions is evidence of party general secretary Xi Jinping’s desire to look beyond his power bases as he expands his talent pool and nurtures new allies, analysts say.
The appointees include senior aides of top graft-buster and close Xi ally Wang Qishan, technocrats, and others with no obvious factional allegiance who have worked their way up from local governments.
On the whole, there are not many people in Xi’s camp and their loyalty is also debatable
While Xi has continued to place some trusted former aides in key positions – including those who worked with him during stints in Shanghai, Zhejiang or Fujian – analysts said the expansion of the talent pool underscored a “shift of power” within the party and new preferences when it came to promoting officials.
The party elite elevated Xi’s political status to “core” of the party leadership at a key meeting last month, giving Xi more influence in the quinquennial reshuffle of senior positions expected at the party congress late next year.
A handful of Xi’s former subordinates have taken on roles as party bosses or government leaders in Beijing, Shanghai, Jiangxi, Jiangsu, Hunan and Yunnan. All worked with the party chief and president during his stints in Shanghai, Zhejiang or Fujian as he ascended the political ladder.