https://www.scmp.com/rss/266112/feed The Chinese Communist Party's 18th Congress, held in Beijing November 8-14, 2012, marked a key power transition in China. A new generation of leaders, headed by Xi Jinping and Li Keqiang, took over from the previous leadership headed by Hu Jintao. The Communist Party's Politburo Standing Committee was reduced in number from nine to seven. Unlike his predecessor Jiang Zemin, Hu Jintao handed over both the Party General Secretary and Chairman of the Central Military Commission positions to Xi. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Saudi Aramco, the record holder for the most capital raised in a stock sale, created a stir when it said in November that it may sell bonds denominated in yuan, potentially challenging the US dollar’s dominance of the petrodollar market. But it may be easier said than done, according to bankers who arranged the oil giant’s US$20 billion worth of bond fundraising this year and last. Listing the yuan as a possible currency choice is one thing, but it is quite another to actually raise vast amounts... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3113773/saudi-aramcos-panda-bond-far-done-deal-markets-small-size?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3113773/saudi-aramcos-panda-bond-far-done-deal-markets-small-size?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 13 Dec 2020 10:48:58 +0000 Hafiza Sheikh, a homemaker in Greater Noida in India’s Uttar Pradesh state, was suddenly flooded with anti-Muslim messages on social media on Tuesday morning. Some of these called Muslims “illiterate” while others labelled them as “carriers” of the coronavirus infection. Confused about the reason for these Islamophobic messages, she checked a news site and found out that 24 Muslims who recently attended an event organised by missionary group Tablighi Jamaat had tested positive in New Delhi. “The... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3077934/coronavirus-outbreak-muslim-group-tablighi-jamaat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3077934/coronavirus-outbreak-muslim-group-tablighi-jamaat?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2020 07:56:34 +0000 Property transactions in Hong Kong fell to a 13-month low as analysts warned the coronavirus outbreak is likely to further derail the world’s most expensive housing market. The value of all properties changing hands in January dropped 17 per cent to HK$29 billion, while the number of transactions slipped to 3,776 from 3,908 a month earlier, the Land Registry revealed on Tuesday. Meanwhile, data from the Transport and Housing Bureau showed a total of 13,600 new flats were built last year, the... https://www.scmp.com/property/hong-kong-china/article/3048894/coronavirus-fears-will-further-slow-hong-kongs-sluggish?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/property/hong-kong-china/article/3048894/coronavirus-fears-will-further-slow-hong-kongs-sluggish?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 04 Feb 2020 07:46:42 +0000 Enoch Yiu Enoch Yiu Roy Cho Kwai-chee, the alleged mastermind in the fraud involving independent Hong Kong financial advisory firm Convoy Global holdings, could face longer jail time along with two associates, after a magistrate on Wednesday referred the case to the District Court, a higher court that can impose jail sentences of up to seven years. A pretrial hearing is scheduled for September 2 to arrange the transfer. Cho, 55, a former executive director at Convoy, was charged by the Independent Commission... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3019970/convoy-fraud-roy-cho-could-face-seven-years-jail-after?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3019970/convoy-fraud-roy-cho-could-face-seven-years-jail-after?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Jul 2019 14:37:31 +0000 A Japanese court on Friday upheld the death sentence for a woman dubbed the “Black Widow”, who used cyanide to kill a string of elderly and rich lovers and pocketed millions in insurance payouts and inheritance. The Osaka High Court rejected an appeal by Chisako Kakehi, 72, to overturn her sentence of death by hanging for the murder of three men – including a husband – and the attempted murder of another, in a case that gripped Japan. Kakehi became notorious after using poison to dispatch a... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3011652/death-sentence-upheld-japans-black-widow-who-poisoned-lovers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3011652/death-sentence-upheld-japans-black-widow-who-poisoned-lovers?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 May 2019 07:04:29 +0000 Click on our interactive map In November 2012, the Communist Party's new leader Xi Jinping announced a crackdown on corruption amongst officials. Since then, a raft of suspected offenders have been sacked or suspended for alleged wrongdoing. Here, SCMP.com brings you a comprehensive guide to the latest officials under investigation. 2012 November: Lǚ Yingming, former deputy director of Guangdong Provincial Department of Land and Resources, under investigation for “serious violations of... https://www.scmp.com/comment/blogs/article/1102978/chinese-officials-behaving-badly?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/blogs/article/1102978/chinese-officials-behaving-badly?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 Feb 2013 07:55:42 +0000 Our recent story outlining the strategic and historical context behind the statements from outgoing President Hu Jintao that China must "build itself into a maritime power" made interesting reading for anyone wanting to understand what is going on in the region. While the political jockeying and post-Bo Xilai intrigue generated more headlines out of the recent 18th party congress, Hu's vision of China's maritime future resonated across the region's staterooms and strategic salons. On one level,... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1121458/theres-good-reason-chinas-bluster?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1121458/theres-good-reason-chinas-bluster?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 06 Jan 2013 16:00:00 +0000 He hugged babies. He was public about his love for his wife. He spoke without party jargon. Vice-President Xi Jinping has displayed a liberal image. Yet, any expectations of him being soft on Hong Kong will be proven very wrong. While his predecessors were seen to "pamper" Hong Kong, the new leadership is going for a more formal, if not rigid, approach that will allow little leverage for Hong Kong. As the saying goes "once the clock strikes nine, mother is no longer going to woo you into bed... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/1120127/two-appointments-one-policy-paper-and-clock-strikes-nine?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/1120127/two-appointments-one-policy-paper-and-clock-strikes-nine?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 04 Jan 2013 16:00:00 +0000 Many mainland companies that were forced to delay their listing plans in 2012 due to a weak market environment may find they are unable to relaunch their plans any time soon until some political uncertainties are resolved, bankers say. China's once-in-a-decade leadership transition took place in mid-November in Beijing at the Communist Party's 18th congress. At the time the roles for top leaders, including president-in-waiting Xi Jinping, the current vice-president, and premier-in-waiting Li... https://www.scmp.com/business/money/markets-investing/article/1117803/stock-listings-pencilled-second-half-2013?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/money/markets-investing/article/1117803/stock-listings-pencilled-second-half-2013?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 01 Jan 2013 16:00:00 +0000 From his speech at the 18th national party congress last month, it was clear that, for outgoing President Hu Jintao, fighting corruption was a priority. President-to-be Xi Jinping also appears to want to tackle the issue head on. There is, however, a major problem facing those seeking to take Hu and Xi's lead and clean up Chinese politics. For both politicians, the challenge of tackling corruption is essentially a technocratic one. Beefed-up laws, nuanced sets of rules and regulations, specific... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1116031/quickest-way-get-corrupt-officials-change-threat-trial?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1116031/quickest-way-get-corrupt-officials-change-threat-trial?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 30 Dec 2012 16:00:00 +0000 It's been a year of unforgettable stories from Hong Kong, China and around the world. From the magic of the Olympics in London, the tight race for the White House in the US presidential election to the shock revelation that Hong Kong chief executive hopeful Henry Tang Ying-yen had a palatial - but illegal - basement under his home, there have been stories variously jaw-dropping, depressing, emotive and exciting. It's also been a big year for the Post's website, scmp.com, which welcomed more... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1115202/best-stories-2012-south-china-morning-post?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1115202/best-stories-2012-south-china-morning-post?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 29 Dec 2012 16:00:00 +0000 China has fixed March 5, next year, as the date it will convene a key legislative session, state media reported on Friday, with new Communist Party chief Xi Jingping set to become president during the two-week meeting. The date for the start of the first annual session of the 12th National People’s Congress (NPC) was approved at an NPC Standing Committee meeting on Friday, the official Xinhua news agency reported. The announcement comes after the Communist Party in November chose current Vice... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1115034/china-sets-date-12th-national-peoples-congress?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1115034/china-sets-date-12th-national-peoples-congress?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 29 Dec 2012 01:13:10 +0000 Tension is rising after Beijing apparently stepped up its rhetoric on how Hong Kong should be governed. After a war of words over an alleged pro-independence force in the city, a top mainland official sparked more controversy by accusing external forces of interfering with local elections. The remarks have inevitably fuelled the fire and raised concerns that the central government may tighten its grip over the city's affairs. Hong Kong's openness to foreign influences has long been a matter of... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1096027/beijing-must-provide-evidence-support-political-warning?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1096027/beijing-must-provide-evidence-support-political-warning?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 02 Dec 2012 16:00:00 +0000 A couple of weeks ago, something strange started to happen. It seemed most people I met who knew me here in Hong Kong were all asking me the same question: why wasn't I in Beijing? The explanation is simple. Around every March, I go to Beijing for 10 days or so to attend the annual full session of the National People's Congress. It takes place in the Great Hall of the People, and the TV news shows pictures of China's leaders giving speeches, while a huge audience listens. That was what happened... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1094003/hongkongers-unacceptable-ignorance-chinas-government?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1094003/hongkongers-unacceptable-ignorance-chinas-government?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 Nov 2012 16:00:00 +0000 The mainland's key stock indicator slipped below the psychologically important 2,000-point level yesterday, entering a territory last seen nearly four years ago. The Shanghai Composite Index fell 26.3 points, or 1.3 per cent, to close at 1,991.17, the first time below the key level since January 23, 2009. With the main gauge breaking through the symbolic barrier, investors are hoping the regulators will be stirred into action. "The government is doing nothing to help us," said Zhang Zhisheng,... https://www.scmp.com/business/money/markets-investing/article/1092561/shanghai-market-drops-below-key-2000-level?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/money/markets-investing/article/1092561/shanghai-market-drops-below-key-2000-level?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Nov 2012 16:00:00 +0000 It’s a once-in-a-decade exercise. Behind closed doors, deals are struck and broken, careers are bought and sold, battles are won and lost. When the white smoke finally rises from the conclave chimney, new kings are crowned and another layer of intervening leadership is added to one of the most opaque political systems in the world. The 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (第十八次黨代表大會) opened on 8 November and concluded less than a week later. Just as pundits had predicted, Xi... https://www.scmp.com/comment/blogs/article/1088982/changing-guards?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/blogs/article/1088982/changing-guards?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 23 Nov 2012 03:32:59 +0000 The months of speculation are mercifully over. Questions of whether there would be nine or seven are now resolved; who is in and who is out is settled. When the new Chinese Communist Party leadership walked before the world's press last week, there was a feeling of anticlimax. If Hu Jintao had wanted to create a process that ended up boring everyone into submission, it worked. In the end, a group of men with very similar backgrounds and life stories, wearing similar suits and acting in uniform... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1088387/xi-jinpings-public-relations-test?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1088387/xi-jinpings-public-relations-test?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 22 Nov 2012 16:00:00 +0000 From an economic perspective, the 18th party congress closed at just the right time. New data shows that growth benchmarks in the industrial, investment, export and consumption sectors have been rising for two months, reversing the short-term downward trend. Policymakers have been more objective in tackling this downturn than they were in the 2008 financial crisis. They have been more cautious in rolling out a new round of stimulus measures and have also continued with reform efforts while... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1087658/chinas-old-and-new-leaders-should-seize-moment-economic?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1087658/chinas-old-and-new-leaders-should-seize-moment-economic?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Nov 2012 16:00:00 +0000 China's microblogosphere before and after the 18th party congress appeared markedly different. Before, loud voices demanded democracy, predicting that the Communist Party would drop its Mao Zedong Thought tenets and ridiculing the party's opaque power politics in light of the recent US election. But the day the new leadership was unveiled, microblogs seemed filled with genuine expressions of satisfaction and excitement. Netizens appeared pleased by the new line-up, thankful that Xi Jinping and... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1086178/communist-partys-well-planned-route-successful-rule?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1086178/communist-partys-well-planned-route-successful-rule?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Nov 2012 16:00:00 +0000 Four years ago, I wrote an article titled New Year in November about Barack Obama’s historic victory. That’s what it felt like – a new beginning, a rebirth – even to a blogger half the world away. Four years flew by in the blink of an eye and the president was up for re-election this month. This time I wanted to be there – in America, in the thick of things. I planned my annual home leave in the second week of November and arrived in New York just days after Hurricane Sandy ravaged the East... https://www.scmp.com/comment/blogs/article/1086038/new-year-november-reprise?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/blogs/article/1086038/new-year-november-reprise?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Nov 2012 05:07:04 +0000 The claims about Premier Wen Jiabao's hidden family assets prompted Beijing to block The New York Times' English and Chinese websites, but many viewers scaled the Great Firewall to find the news. Ironically, this revelation yielded little applause and harvested mostly disbelief and indignation among Chinese readers in and out of the country. Such reactions not only reflect the political reality of today's China but also provide important clues about its social transition. The story claimed... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1085425/corruption-drives-calls-reform-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1085425/corruption-drives-calls-reform-china?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 18 Nov 2012 16:00:00 +0000 Colombia, rebels resume peace talks Peace talks between Colombia's FARC rebels, whose delegation includes Dutch national Tanja Nijmeijer, and the government recommence with a five-point agenda. The eagerly awaited discussions are taking place in Cuba and follow the start of a dialogue in Norway one month ago, which has raised hopes of breaking a decades-long cycle of conflict responsible for killing hundreds of thousands of people. But there is also a level of scepticism about the peace effort -... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1085662/talking-points?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1085662/talking-points?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 18 Nov 2012 16:00:00 +0000 As soon as Xi Jinping and the six other top Communist Party officials walked into the media limelight at noon on Thursday, many overseas analysts and media organisations immediately labeled China's new leadership line-up as being "conservative" and dominated by the "old guard". They expressed concerns that, with such a line-up, Xi could find himself hamstrung in his efforts to carry out political and economic reform that is needed to put the country on a path to more sustainable growth. Their... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1085638/xi-jinping-might-be-strong-reformer-china-needs-surprise-west?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1085638/xi-jinping-might-be-strong-reformer-china-needs-surprise-west?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 18 Nov 2012 16:00:00 +0000 The state-run media were more than happy to turn those who usually make the news into the newsmakers during this year's Communist Party congress. Media outlets repeatedly turned to the reporters themselves to set a triumphant tone for the seven-day extravaganza of party, pride and patriotism. But not just any reporters; foreign reporters. Forget the usual haranguing over foreign media agents conspiring to foment unrest and undermine the party - a story revived just last month with angry reaction... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1084797/foreign-reporters-make-news-during-congress?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1084797/foreign-reporters-make-news-during-congress?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 17 Nov 2012 16:00:00 +0000 Promotion for foreign affairs deputy The deputy director general of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' information department, Hua Chunying, had been appointed a spokeswoman, Xinhua said yesterday. Hua has worked in the foreign affairs field for 20 years, with particular experience in Europe and Asia. He Huifeng   Politburo to share 'spirit of the congress' The Communist Party's new Politburo met yesterday to arrange implementation of the spirit of the just-concluded 18th national congress. The... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1084355/briefs-november-17-2012?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1084355/briefs-november-17-2012?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Nov 2012 16:00:00 +0000 Former Communist Party general secretary Jiang Zemin did not show up at a gathering on Thursday afternoon at which new party chief Xi Jinping praised his predecessor Hu Jintao for standing down fully from his top party posts. Jiang, 86, had been in the limelight ahead of the once-a-decade power transfer. It was not clear why Jiang did not attend the gathering. State television reported that a slew of party veterans, including Hu's 96-year-old mentor Song Ping, former premier Li Peng and his... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1084358/jiang-zemin-absent-party-congress-finale?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1084358/jiang-zemin-absent-party-congress-finale?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Nov 2012 16:00:00 +0000 Xi Jinping and China's other new leaders take charge of a slowing economy and an increasingly vocal populace demanding cleaner government, better welfare and more affordable housing. Only modest progress has been made at shifting the economy from an investment-led, industrial model to one driven more by consumers and the services sector. Investors expecting the new administration to respond with rapid reforms or a major fiscal stimulus are likely to be disappointed. The government of Xi, who was... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1084098/new-leadership-likely-maintain-pro-growth-policies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1084098/new-leadership-likely-maintain-pro-growth-policies?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Nov 2012 16:00:00 +0000 Navigation: China abroad | China at home | Chinese media In 2002 when Hu Jintao gave his acceptance speech at the Communist Party's 16th national congress, he spent half of it praising then-outgoing president Jiang Zemin and his "Three Represents" theory. Yesterday at the Great Hall of the People, Xi Jinping had his first opportunity to give the world indication of what sort of leader he plans to be, and during his speech Xi not only left out any mention of Hu but also what Hu wants to be his... https://www.scmp.com/comment/blogs/article/1083709/xi-jinping-harmonised-hu-out-his-power-acceptance-speech-yesterday?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/blogs/article/1083709/xi-jinping-harmonised-hu-out-his-power-acceptance-speech-yesterday?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Nov 2012 01:20:14 +0000 Kim Min-young, South Korean student in Beijing “I know there’s an 18th congress and Xi Jinping is the new chairman of China. It is interesting to study the leadership reshuffle here. Everyone votes for a new leader in South Korea, but they don’t do that in China. My uncle says Xi has close ties with Samsung, so I hope his leadership will help Korean companies in China. There’s a lot of media coverage on the congress, but at the same time the Chinese don’t care much. We Koreans care about our... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1083525/locals-and-tourists-have-their-say-new-standing-committee?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1083525/locals-and-tourists-have-their-say-new-standing-committee?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Nov 2012 18:54:46 +0000 The 15 new faces installed on the powerful Politburo include at least two politicians widely seen as candidates for top posts when Xi Jinping's generation leaves office a decade from now. Among those joining the 25-member panel are Inner Mongolia party secretary Hu Chunhua and Jilin party secretary Sun Zhengcai, both members of the so-called sixth generation of leadership prospects at the party congress in 2022. Hu and Sun, both 49, are poised to take up two weighty posts fairly soon. Hu is... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1083434/next-generation-waiting-wings?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1083434/next-generation-waiting-wings?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Nov 2012 16:00:00 +0000 China's next generation of leaders is now known, their unveiling yesterday ending months of speculation as to who the Communist Party would choose to take the nation through the coming decade. Xi Jinping heading the line-up of seven dark-suited members of the top governing body, the Politburo Standing Committee, was not surprising, nor was the choice of the man who stood beside him in the No 2 spot, Li Keqiang. But the others on the red carpet in the Great Hall of the People were there less... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1083415/new-leaders-must-guide-china-next-stage-its-development?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1083415/new-leaders-must-guide-china-next-stage-its-development?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Nov 2012 16:00:00 +0000 When he finally showed up and led a cast of new communist leaders to the stage, newly elected party chief Xi Jinping wore a determined and confident look, smiling and waving. The 59-year-old leader apparently enjoyed having the spotlight of the world's media trained upon him and appeared ready for the top party and military jobs. His debut came just minutes after he was confirmed as the party leader - a role he takes over with immediate effect - and had obviously been carefully orchestrated to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1083422/xi-soaks-limelight-first-day-charge-nation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1083422/xi-soaks-limelight-first-day-charge-nation?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Nov 2012 16:00:00 +0000 Guangdong party secretary Wang Yang, State Councillor Liu Yandong and State Council secretary general Ma Kai are front runners to fill the vice-premiership vacancies to be left by Zhang Dejiang, Hui Liangyu and Wang Qishan in March. All three potential vice-premiers are among the 25 members of the Communist Party's new Politburo, unveiled yesterday. Judging by her past experience, Liu, 67, could become the vice-premier responsible for culture, education, health care and technology. If she does... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1083430/front-runners-emerge-vice-premier-vacancies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1083430/front-runners-emerge-vice-premier-vacancies?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Nov 2012 16:00:00 +0000 Japan voiced hope for "mutually beneficial" ties with China's new leaders yesterday amid a bitter maritime dispute, but analysts said Beijing's territorial ambitions are unlikely to fade any time soon. "We really hope that the mutually beneficial relationship based on common strategic interests will be further developed and enhanced with the new leadership" of China, said the foreign ministry's deputy press secretary, Naoko Saiki, in Tokyo. Japan is embroiled in a territorial spat with Beijing... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1083428/japan-wants-improve-ties-chinas-new-leaders?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1083428/japan-wants-improve-ties-chinas-new-leaders?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Nov 2012 16:00:00 +0000 The pecking order of the Communist Party's supreme Politburo Standing Committee unveiled yesterday reflects three changes and gives the next premier greater authority. The position of premier in the Politburo Standing Committee hierarchy returns to No 2 in the new line-up, going back to an old practice dropped 15 years ago. When the new generation of leaders was unveiled to the assembled press, Li Keqiang, poised to take over from Wen Jiabao as premier in March, walked onto the stage right after... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1083429/new-politburo-pecking-order-reveals-changes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1083429/new-politburo-pecking-order-reveals-changes?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Nov 2012 16:00:00 +0000 The expansion of the Communist Party's executive body from six to seven members may be due to the increasing importance of ethnic issues, analysts say. The Central Committee secretariat, headed by new Politburo Standing Committee member Liu Yunshan , handles the daily operations of the Politburo. The inclusion of Sichuan party boss Liu Qibao , expected to head the party's publicity department, and Shaanxi party boss Zhao Leji , tipped to head its organisation department, was to be expected. Two... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1083426/expansion-central-committee-secretariat-may-reflect-ethnic-unrest?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1083426/expansion-central-committee-secretariat-may-reflect-ethnic-unrest?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Nov 2012 16:00:00 +0000 In a game between two sides, a win for one is a loss for the other. In the game of party power, most analysts believe former president Jiang Zemin outmanoeuvred his successor, Hu Jintao , in influencing the selection of the next generation of leaders. Hu, who stood down as Communist Party secretary general at the party's just-concluded 18th national congress, has failed to install political allies in several key positions, particularly membership of the party's inner-most Politburo Standing... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1083371/jiang-zemin-faction-wins-chinas-game-thrones?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1083371/jiang-zemin-faction-wins-chinas-game-thrones?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Nov 2012 16:00:00 +0000 Sun Chunlan Fujian party secretary Sun Chunlan is the only female provincial party chief. She is tipped to be party boss for Tianjin , one of the five national cities, in this round of reshuffles. One of the few senior women cadres, 62-year-old Sun spent most of her career in trade unions and women's federations. Starting as a worker at Anshan Clock and Watch Factory in Liaoning in 1974, she then rose from director of the Anshan Women's Federation to become the director of Liaoning Provincial... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1083401/politburo-rising-stars?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1083401/politburo-rising-stars?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Nov 2012 16:00:00 +0000 Xi Jinping officially took over the baton as the new party and military chief yesterday, marking the climax of the once-a-decade leadership succession previously plagued by political scandals and rampant rumours about splits among top leaders. Along with Xi, a slate of new leaders was also sworn in as they were elevated to the Politburo and its Standing Committee, the apex of power, after elections by the newly elected Central Committee yesterday. Their subsequent first media exposure after... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1083432/xi-jinping-pledges-tackle-corruption?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1083432/xi-jinping-pledges-tackle-corruption?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Nov 2012 16:00:00 +0000 New man at the top Xi Jinping an enigma Who is Xi Jinping? Although he has finally risen to the supreme office in the world's most populous nation and second-largest economic power, Xi Jinping remains an enigmatic cipher - even to many of his fellow Communist Party apparatchiks. Since his succession was set five years ago, the state media has gone out of its way to paint Xi in a favourable light. He is often depicted as a mature, competent and popular statesman, one meticulously groomed over... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1083397/seven-men-who-rule-billion?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1083397/seven-men-who-rule-billion?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Nov 2012 16:00:00 +0000 Ling Jihua, until recently the chief of staff of President Hu Jintao , has become the only former director of the Communist Party Central Committee's general office not to be elected a Politburo member or alternate member since the founding of the People's Republic in 1949. All Ling's predecessors joined the Politburo as a full member or alternate member after heading the office. Most recently they have included Premier Wen Jiabao , who was head of the office from 1987 to 1992, former... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1083372/loss-politburo-seat-deals-further-setback-hus-former-chief-staff?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1083372/loss-politburo-seat-deals-further-setback-hus-former-chief-staff?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Nov 2012 16:00:00 +0000 Markets are watching a handful of experienced bankers whose ascent though the party ranks this week makes them likely candidates for top jobs managing the world's second-largest economy for the next five years. At least four cadres with stints at the helm of one of the Big Four state-owned banks - Shang Fulin , Guo Shuqing , Xiang Junbo and Xiao Gang - are widely seen as favourites for top economic posts after promotion to the Communist Party's Central Committee. The four, along with the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1083421/markets-keen-know-names-men-who-will-be-charge-economy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1083421/markets-keen-know-names-men-who-will-be-charge-economy?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Nov 2012 16:00:00 +0000 At 59 years old, new party leader Xi Jinping is the youngest head of the party's decision-making body for the armed forces in more than three decades. And he is the first leader to seize pivotal positions with both the party and military during a leadership transition in 23 years. His role atop the party's Central Military Commission (CMC) also reflects the youthfulness of the current CMC members when compared with the party's newly elected seven-member Politburo Standing Committee. The average... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1083423/xi-jinping-youngest-head-central-military-commission-three-decades?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1083423/xi-jinping-youngest-head-central-military-commission-three-decades?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Nov 2012 16:00:00 +0000 Xi Jinping has become the first top mainland leader to enter office with first-hand experience in dealing with Hong Kong and Macau, a portfolio he will still oversee until at least March. The once-a-decade leadership reshuffle that elevated Xi produced a seven-member ruling body without any official assigned to oversee the special administrative regions previously ruled as European colonies. Li Yuanchao , widely tipped to acquire the portfolio from Xi, failed to make it on the Politburo's elite... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1083427/xi-jinping-will-still-keep-tabs-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1083427/xi-jinping-will-still-keep-tabs-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Nov 2012 16:00:00 +0000 Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou yesterday called for greater cross-strait trust and co-operation as he became the first KMT chief to formally congratulate a new Communist Party leader since the bitter civil war. Ma, who wrote to newly installed general secretary Xi Jinping in his capacity as Kuomintang chairman, noted that relations between Beijing and Taipei had reached their highest point in six decades under the "1992 consensus", which allows each side to have its own interpretation of the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1083387/taiwan-president-ma-ying-jeou-congratulates-new-leader-xi-jinping?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1083387/taiwan-president-ma-ying-jeou-congratulates-new-leader-xi-jinping?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Nov 2012 16:00:00 +0000 Xi Jinping, newly elected general secretary of the Communist Party's Central Committee, met the press with the other six members of the new Politburo Standing Committee on November 15, 2012. Below is a transcript of the speech he gave after the seven leaders greeted the press.  "Ladies, gentelmen, and friends, greetings to you all! You have waited long. I am very glad to meet friends from the news media here today. During the past several days, you have extensively covered the congress and let... https://www.scmp.com/news/18th-party-congress/article/1083153/transcript-xi-jinpings-speech-unveiling-new-chinese?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/18th-party-congress/article/1083153/transcript-xi-jinpings-speech-unveiling-new-chinese?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Nov 2012 10:01:33 +0000 North Korean leader Kim Jong-un offered his “warm congratulations” on Thursday to China’s Xi Jinping on taking over the reins of the world’s most populous country and Pyongyang’s closest ally. Xi succeeded Hu Jintao as head of the Communist Party in China – North Korea’s main source of economic aid. “Please accept my warm congratulations on the successful holding of the 18th National Congress and your election,” Kim was quoted as saying in a message carried by the official Korean Central News... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/1083014/n-korean-leader-kim-jong-un-congratulates-chinas-xi?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/1083014/n-korean-leader-kim-jong-un-congratulates-chinas-xi?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Nov 2012 05:44:16 +0000 China now has a new leader - seven and not nine, to be exact, now that Xinhua has made an official statement. The announcement was originally set for 11am, but Xi Jinping and the rest of the Politburo Standing Committee (PSC) didn't glide onto stage until just before 12. Not only did China watchers get antsy during the wait but even official mouthpiece Xinhua appears to have gotten fed up too, as the Communist Party's new PSC lineup and heads of the Central Military Commission and Central... https://www.scmp.com/comment/blogs/article/1082990/xi-jinpings-punctuality-fail-wins-him-twitter-hashtag?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/blogs/article/1082990/xi-jinpings-punctuality-fail-wins-him-twitter-hashtag?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Nov 2012 05:12:31 +0000 Interactive Infographic: China's new leadership by Joe Lo    1 The rise of Xi Jinping, China's next leader Xi Jinping will be the next leader of China, but to many observers he remains something of a cipher. In a three-part-series, the Post attempts to solve the mysteries of President Hu Jintao's successor by examining his early postings in rural Hebei and the work in the affluent coastal provinces of Fujian and Zhejiang that were the foundation for his rise (Full profile by Shi Jiangtao in... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1082901/whos-who-seven-party-heavyweights-named-chinas-politburo-core?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1082901/whos-who-seven-party-heavyweights-named-chinas-politburo-core?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Nov 2012 03:55:52 +0000 Updated at 3pm Who's who: seven party heavyweights named to China's Politburo core Updated at 2.28pm Comment from Jean-Pierre Cabestan, political science professor at Baptist University “The leadership is divided. I’m not saying that they’re not going to try anything. It’s easier for them to move to a new growth model. I think they agree upon that and that won’t be the hardest task. But I see a lot of political paralysis in terms of changing the political system. I don’t see any headway. “You... https://www.scmp.com/news/18th-party-congress/article/1082899/live-updates-chinas-new-leadership-meets-world?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/18th-party-congress/article/1082899/live-updates-chinas-new-leadership-meets-world?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Nov 2012 02:05:42 +0000