https://www.scmp.com/rss/323488/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com China’s announcement last Sunday of its intention to remove the constitutional two-term limit for the presidency, clearing the way for President Xi Jinping to rule beyond 2023, has come as a surprise. As overseas media and analysts scramble to assess the implications and query the development, the answer to one of the biggest questions can in fact be inferred from his landmark marathon speech at the Communist Party’s 19th congress – a speech that gave him a stronger mandate for his second term... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/2135206/how-long-does-chinas-president-xi-plan-hold-power-heres-magic?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/2135206/how-long-does-chinas-president-xi-plan-hold-power-heres-magic?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 03 Mar 2018 00:30:30 +0000 A closed-door meeting of the ruling Communist Party on Friday endorsed a proposal to include “Xi Jinping Thought”, the president’s political theory, in China’s constitution, Xinhua reported. The proposal – to be formally approved by the national legislature’s full session in March – would make Xi the first sitting Chinese leader to see his name in the constitution since Mao Zedong. It follows revisions made in October at the party congress that saw Xi’s theory – Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2129760/top-cadres-propose-adding-xi-jinping-thought-chinese?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2129760/top-cadres-propose-adding-xi-jinping-thought-chinese?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Jan 2018 15:00:30 +0000 President Xi Jinping’s key economic adviser Liu He is likely to be promoted to vice-premier in March, as Xi assembles a new team to steer the world’s second largest economy over the next five years, according to sources with knowledge of the arrangement. After spending his first term amassing unprecedented power through a much trumpeted anti-corruption crusade, Xi is now under increasing pressure to tackle the daunting challenges facing the US$12 trillion economy that range from ballooning debts... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2123716/key-xi-jinping-adviser-set-major-role-team-steering?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2123716/key-xi-jinping-adviser-set-major-role-team-steering?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 Dec 2017 00:00:45 +0000 The violation of political principles is no less damaging to China’s Communist Party than corruption, and meeting the party’s political standards should be the paramount criterion when considering cadres for promotion, according to its new personnel chief. In an article published on Thursday in the state mouthpiece People’s Daily, Chen Xi, head of the party’s Organisation Department, accused some senior cadres of losing their faith in socialism and turning to Western concepts of democracy. Xi... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2120217/chinas-cadres-should-believe-party-not-gods-and-ghosts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2120217/chinas-cadres-should-believe-party-not-gods-and-ghosts?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Nov 2017 11:30:45 +0000 In the wake of the 19th national congress, President Xi Jinping has achieved a firm grip on the party’s leadership. Does it mean his dominance will now extend to economic affairs? Traditionally, the premier, the country’s No 2, has been in charge of economic policy. So in Li Keqiang’s first term, this had given rise to “Likonomics”. Can we expect “Xikonomics” from now on? In reality, there is a general agreement within the top leadership over the country’s economic priorities. This is clear from... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2117377/chinas-focus-no-longer-growth-any-cost?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2117377/chinas-focus-no-longer-growth-any-cost?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Oct 2017 17:54:36 +0000 The Communist Party of China unveiled its new leadership on Wednesday, with perhaps the most notable points being the retirement of anti-graft chief Wang Qishan and the exclusion from the Politburo Standing Committee of anyone who would still be young enough to take over from President Xi Jinping in five years’ time. Xi and Premier Li Keqiang were the only two incumbents to retain their seats on the committee, China’s highest decision making body. They were joined by Xi’s chief of staff Li... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2117002/xi-breaks-convention-and-upholds-tradition-while?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2117002/xi-breaks-convention-and-upholds-tradition-while?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Oct 2017 15:30:00 +0000 China’s ruling Communist Party unveiled its new leadership on Wednesday morning, ending months of speculation over how President Xi Jinping would assemble his team to kick-start a second term in power. The seven members of the Politburo Standing Committee, the county’s apex of power, are, in order of seniority: President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Keqiang, Li Zhanshu, Wang Yang, Wang Huning, Zhao Leji and Han Zheng. All but Xi and Li Keqiang are new appointments, and their promotions in line with... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2116926/young-pretenders-fail-break-chinas-innermost-circle-we?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2116926/young-pretenders-fail-break-chinas-innermost-circle-we?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Oct 2017 08:11:22 +0000 President Xi Jinping was elevated to the status of late paramount leaders Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping, securing an almost unchallengeable dominance over the Communist Party, which ended its week-long gathering on Tuesday with a newly elected Central Committee, the party’s elite decision-making body. At the closing session in Beijing’s cavernous Great Hall of the People, Xi declared that his governing philosophy, officially titled “Xi Jinping thought on Socialism with Chinese characteristic for... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2116830/congress-concludes-xi-undisputed-core-leader?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2116830/congress-concludes-xi-undisputed-core-leader?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Oct 2017 14:15:30 +0000 Despite official boasts about the record number of women taking part in the Communist Party’s congress over the last week, Chinese women are still being excluded from the country’s top-level politics. Of the 204 people on the party’s Central Committee, just 10 of them are women, a total unchanged from the 18th congress of 2012. Women’s rights activists and female civil servants have painted a gloomy picture about their chances of influencing the decision-making process even as state media... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2116778/record-number-women-its-still-mans-world-top-chinese?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2116778/record-number-women-its-still-mans-world-top-chinese?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Oct 2017 10:00:00 +0000 The top decision-making bodies of China’s Communist Party are expected to be dominated by allies of party chief Xi Jinping for the next five years, with the line-up to be revealed on Wednesday. But beneath those leadership roles, Xi allies and proteges are also poised to control the party’s General Office, which serves as its nerve centre, and the Central Secretariat, which deals with the day-to-day running of the party Politburo and its Standing Committee. Ding Xuexiang, a trusted Xi aide, is... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2116689/meet-xi-jinping-allies-line-become-chinese-leaders-new?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2116689/meet-xi-jinping-allies-line-become-chinese-leaders-new?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Oct 2017 07:36:56 +0000 Two of the highlights of the closing session of the Communist Party’s national congress on Tuesday were the elevation of Chinese President Xi Jinping to a status on a par with late paramount leaders Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping, and the departure of anti-graft tsar Wang Qishan and Vice-President Li Yuanchao from the top leadership. Xi’s political philosophy is officially enshrined in the party’s constitution At the closing session in Beijing’s cavernous Great Hall of the People, Xi declared that... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2116728/upshot-xi-joins-communist-partys-greats-and-chinas-anti?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2116728/upshot-xi-joins-communist-partys-greats-and-chinas-anti?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Oct 2017 06:54:43 +0000 Communist Party delegates from the rank-and-file to the top levels have backed calls for Xi Jinping’s name to be added to the party’s constitution – a move that would put him on a par with Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping. The focal point of Tuesday’s closing ceremonies for the party congress will be the exact wording of the amendment to the party’s constitution that will enshrine Xi’s dogma – the “Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era” – into the document. When Xi... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2116572/ultimate-honour-will-xi-jinping-be-elevated-same-status?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2116572/ultimate-honour-will-xi-jinping-be-elevated-same-status?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Oct 2017 07:00:45 +0000 Chinese schoolchildren will soon be studying President Xi Jinping’s political ideology after it becomes official Communist Party dogma later this week. Education Minister Chen Baosheng said the new ideology, unveiled at the start of the party’s national congress last week, would be incorporated into curriculums across the country. “[The thought will] go into textbooks, into classes, and into the brains [of students],” Chen said last week on the sidelines of the congress. “We will design specific... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2116504/brains-chinas-children-xi-jinpings-thought-become?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2116504/brains-chinas-children-xi-jinpings-thought-become?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Oct 2017 02:24:00 +0000 China’s education minister has called for a stronger sense of national identity among Hong Kong’s teachers so they can do a better job of instilling patriotism in the city’s youth. On the sidelines of the Communist Party’s national congress in Beijing, Chen Baosheng advised the city’s government to make sure teachers understood China “in a correct way” as part of efforts to advance national education. “They [teachers] need to love the country first, identify with the country, have stronger... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2116503/fortify-teachers-patriotic-mission-chinas-education?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2116503/fortify-teachers-patriotic-mission-chinas-education?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Oct 2017 23:01:49 +0000 China’s 2.1 trillion-yuan (US$317 billion) national pension fund is seeking more overseas investment opportunities to diversify its risks, its chairman Lou Jiwei has told the South China Morning Post. Lou, who took up the position to manage the flagship retirement fund for the world’s second-largest economy last year, said he was aware of the risks of a high concentration of domestic assets in the fund’s portfolio. “Putting such a large amount of assets in the China market will make the risk too... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/economy/article/2116388/chinas-pension-fund-has-us317-billion-its-sleeve-and-now-its?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/economy/article/2116388/chinas-pension-fund-has-us317-billion-its-sleeve-and-now-its?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Oct 2017 12:00:45 +0000 Chinese politicians gathering in Beijing for the Communist Party congress are mincing no words in their praise of President Xi Jinping, heaping unofficial titles that hark back to the Mao Zedong era on him and glorifying his achievements with gushing superlatives. While it is not clear how the president responds to the flattery, at least three members of the decision-making Politburo, two generals and eight provincial party bosses have addressed Xi as the “lingxiu” – a reverent Chinese term for... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2116484/what-do-you-call-xi-jinping-chinas-elite-echo-language?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2116484/what-do-you-call-xi-jinping-chinas-elite-echo-language?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Oct 2017 11:15:45 +0000 A senior Chinese industrial official told the South China Morning Post that China welcomes foreign firms’ participation in its effort to develop its hi-tech prowess and said six foreign companies are leading or taking part in 15 projects for a new-generation mobile telecommunication network in the country. Miao Wei, the minister of information and industrial technology and overseer of Beijing’s “Made in China 2025” plan, said China was cooperating with several countries, including the United... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/economy/article/2116365/minister-china-wants-foreign-firms-help-building-innovation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/economy/article/2116365/minister-china-wants-foreign-firms-help-building-innovation?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Oct 2017 04:45:29 +0000 Beijing is “losing no time” to seek feedback on a draft plan to develop the “Greater Bay Area” connecting Hong Kong, Macau and southern Guangdong and is looking into the details, including a customs policy, a senior official said on Saturday. He Lifeng, chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), said the state planning agency had been working on a blueprint for the scheme with officials in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau. “We have drafted the plan and we are seeking... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2116423/beijing-losing-no-time-get-input-blueprint-greater-bay?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2116423/beijing-losing-no-time-get-input-blueprint-greater-bay?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Oct 2017 13:34:28 +0000 The mainland media regulator wants to make China a “great nation” in filmmaking by producing more movies that promote socialist values and tell good stories about the country. Its box office revenue is expected to reach 55 billion yuan (US$8.3 billion) this year, up 12 per cent from 49.2 billion yuan in 2016, said Zhang Hongsen, Vice-Minister of the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television (SAPPRFT). “We should expand China’s movie industry and market to kick-start... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2116331/beijings-big-screen-dream-making-china-great-movie?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2116331/beijings-big-screen-dream-making-china-great-movie?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Oct 2017 13:04:02 +0000 Lou Jiwei, the former Chinese finance minister, sparked a debate two years ago saying China had a 50/50 chance of falling into the so-called middle income trap, a term used by the World Bank to refer to nations that get stuck at a middle level of economic development as they attempt to grow rich. Lou, currently head of the National Council for Social Security Fund, now says he has changed his mind. The ex-minister said on the sidelines of the Communist Party congress in Beijing that the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/economy/article/2116295/has-china-really-avoided-middle-income-trap?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/economy/article/2116295/has-china-really-avoided-middle-income-trap?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Oct 2017 08:34:08 +0000 President Xi Jinping on Wednesday set the course for Hong Kong and Macau’s governance, calling for the melding of Beijing’s authority, or “comprehensive jurisdiction”, over the two cities with their “high degree of autonomy” in a natural or “organic” way. In an unprecedented move, Xi also cited these concepts and the “one country, two systems” model as an integral part of the Communist Party’s governance ideology and canon, as he rolled out his five-yearly work report at the opening of the 19th... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2116180/all-you-need-know-about-xi-jinpings-remarks-hong-kong-his?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2116180/all-you-need-know-about-xi-jinpings-remarks-hong-kong-his?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Oct 2017 01:34:15 +0000 The man once tipped to become President Xi Jinping’s successor, Guangdong party boss Hu Chunhua, is likely to become a vice-premier in March but his prospects of inclusion in the Communist Party’s top echelon of power, the Politburo Standing Committee, are fading, sources have told the South China Morning Post. Meanwhile, Chongqing party boss Chen Miner, another rising star who is widely seen as the president’s protégé, is expected to win promotion to the 25-member Politburo but will probably... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2116120/why-chinas-xi-jinping-unlikely-anoint-successor?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2116120/why-chinas-xi-jinping-unlikely-anoint-successor?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Oct 2017 00:00:45 +0000 The Chinese military will embark on a massive hardware upgrade and top personnel shake-up under President Xi Jinping’s orders for the PLA to become a world-class fighting force in the next three decades. Laying out his ambitious plan for the People’s Liberation Army in a report to the Communist Party’s national congress on Wednesday, Xi said the PLA must modernise by 2035 and become a top-ranked military by 2050. “A military force is built to fight. Our military must regard combat readiness as... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2115968/xi-orders-massive-military-shake-meet-threats-worlds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2115968/xi-orders-massive-military-shake-meet-threats-worlds?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Oct 2017 00:00:15 +0000 Chinese President Xi Jinping mapped out a confident vision of China’s rise as a global power by 2050, opening a twice-a-decade party gathering on Wednesday by reaffirming the Communist Party’s continued control and pledging the start of a “new era”. In one of his most important political addresses since taking power five years ago and underscoring his own pivotal role since then, Xi declared China had entered a new phase to create a “modern socialist country”, a declaration analysts saw as a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2115970/xi-lays-out-path-confident-new-era-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2115970/xi-lays-out-path-confident-new-era-china?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Oct 2017 15:45:45 +0000 General Secretary Xi Jinping on Wednesday promised to replace a controversial interrogation method used by China’s Communist Party with a new system that would be answerable under the law. “A national supervision law will be formulated,” he said during his 3½-hour presentation of the party’s five-yearly work report at the opening session of the 19th national congress in Beijing. “Supervisory commissions will be given responsibilities, powers and means of investigation in accordance with the law... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2115966/chinas-getting-new-law-fight-corruption-theres-still-no?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2115966/chinas-getting-new-law-fight-corruption-theres-still-no?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Oct 2017 15:15:30 +0000 China will try to extend its global reach by having a bigger say in the way international institutions are run. That was the message President Xi Jinping delivered as he outlined the country’s foreign policy direction in his report to the Communist Party’s national congress in Beijing on Wednesday. Diplomatic observers said the report signalled that China was keen to have a hand in setting international norms and rules, which Beijing maintains are now dominated by Western powers. In his address,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2115961/time-china-have-bigger-global-say-xi-tells-world?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2115961/time-china-have-bigger-global-say-xi-tells-world?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Oct 2017 14:15:30 +0000 President Xi Jinping on Wednesday redefined the “principal contradiction” faced by Chinese people, signalling a shift in the country’s development focus for the years, if not decades, ahead from unbridled economic growth to better quality expansion and improved wealth distribution. In in his work report to the national congress, Xi told the party’s nearly 2,300 delegates gathered in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing that as socialism with Chinese characteristics entered a new era, the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2115955/how-xis-redefinition-principal-contradiction-could?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2115955/how-xis-redefinition-principal-contradiction-could?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Oct 2017 13:30:30 +0000 Whatever power struggles may or may not be going on behind the scenes of China’s party congress, none of the delegates appeared to have lost their respect for their elders, at least not in front of the television cameras. As President Xi Jinping appeared from behind the curtain that had been shielding the conclave’s decision-making presidium at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Wednesday, it was clear he was opting for a gentle walking pace so as not to pull too far ahead of the two men... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2115948/elder-statesmen-make-rare-public-appearance-chinas-top?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2115948/elder-statesmen-make-rare-public-appearance-chinas-top?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Oct 2017 12:15:30 +0000 Listening to Chinese president Xi Jinping highlight the internet, big data and artificial intelligence in his keynote speech to the ruling Communist Party’s once-every-five-year conclave, instilled confidence in tech entrepreneurs like Rona Jiang. Xi, addressing some 2,200 party members at the 19th National Congress of the party, called for the embedding of advanced technologies into the real economy to foster growth engines and develop new business models like the shared economy. The inclusion... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/2115935/chinas-xi-jinping-highlights-ai-big-data-and-shared-economy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/2115935/chinas-xi-jinping-highlights-ai-big-data-and-shared-economy?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Oct 2017 11:00:45 +0000 The recent stability in the yuan exchange rate has been “completely decided by market factors” as the central bank has basically ended its day-to-day intervention in the foreign exchange market, a deputy governor at the People’s Bank of China said on Wednesday. Pan Gongsheng, who is also the head of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange, told journalists on the sidelines of the opening ceremony of the Communist Party’s 19th party congress in Beijing that the yuan would have a more secure... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/economy/article/2115885/china-has-halted-intervention-yuan-exchange-rate-market?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/economy/article/2115885/china-has-halted-intervention-yuan-exchange-rate-market?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Oct 2017 07:08:33 +0000 President Xi Jinping is about to begin his second term as the top leader of China’s Communist Party. So what has he done during the first five-year term? Politics ● After coming to power in 2012, Xi launched a relentless campaign to crack down on corruption and enforce loyalty. More than one million officials have been disciplined, including a number of prominent party and military leaders. ● Xi took aggressive steps to tighten the party’s control over Chinese society. His calls to strengthen... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2115672/what-has-xi-jinping-achieved-his-first-five-years?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2115672/what-has-xi-jinping-achieved-his-first-five-years?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Oct 2017 15:30:00 +0000 The new leadership of China’s ruling Communist Party will finally be unveiled on Wednesday next week, with the party announcing its twice-a-decade national congress will conclude on October 24. As the run-up to the congress entered the final stage on Tuesday, delegates met behind closed doors for the most important gathering of the preparations – to select the presidium, a body convened temporarily to drive the agenda of the week-long meeting. In a show of hands, 2,280 party delegates approved... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2115792/china-sets-date-unveil-communist-partys-new-leadership?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2115792/china-sets-date-unveil-communist-partys-new-leadership?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Oct 2017 15:15:14 +0000 Beijing has redoubled security on public transport and bars have closed suddenly to “prepare for Halloween” as the capital counts down the last days to the start of the Communist Party’s five-yearly national congress. State television said more than 2,000 party delegates from across China have converged on the capital for the meeting, which is due to begin on Wednesday and is expected to go for about a week. Many bars and clubs, most of them in Beijing’s nightlife district of Sanlitun, announced... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2115610/security-high-gear-beijing-locks-down-communist-party?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2115610/security-high-gear-beijing-locks-down-communist-party?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Oct 2017 13:45:00 +0000 They say there is no such thing as a free lunch, and while that is not exactly true for delegates to this week’s Communist Party congress in Beijing, there certainly will not be any free prawns or haircuts. In the spirit of frugality – one of the watchwords of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s first term in charge – the 19th national party congress will be noticeably lacking in the frills, treats and indulgences that have characterised previous gatherings. Gone are the balloons and banners from the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2115437/prawns-are-keep-your-hair-chinas-communist-party-trims?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2115437/prawns-are-keep-your-hair-chinas-communist-party-trims?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Oct 2017 09:15:15 +0000 China’s ruling Communist Party wrapped up a key meeting on Saturday to complete final preparations for next week’s congress, approving its work reports and proposed amendments to the party constitution. The four-day conclave was the last full meeting of the party’s powerful Central Committee before the 19th congress begins on Wednesday. The congress is expected to see President Xi Jinping further strengthen his hold on power by stacking the Politburo and its Standing Committee – the country’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2115378/top-cadres-put-finishing-touches-preparations-communist?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2115378/top-cadres-put-finishing-touches-preparations-communist?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Oct 2017 12:30:30 +0000 While the election process for China’s ruling elite is unlikely ever to be held up as a bastion of democracy, for the delegates at next week’s 19th National Congress it does at least provide an opportunity to have a small say in who they think should stay and who should go. About 2,300 people will attend the twice-a-decade event, which opens on Wednesday and where one of the main orders of business will be the election of the 200-plus members of the party’s Central Committee. There remains the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2115139/rare-moment-when-every-vote-counts-chinas-party?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2115139/rare-moment-when-every-vote-counts-chinas-party?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Oct 2017 00:30:29 +0000 Chinese President Xi Jinping’s anti-corruption drive is likely to focus less on “tigers” – or senior officials – during his second term in office but there will be no respite for rank-and-file cadres, or “flies”, experts said ahead of a plenary session of the country’s graft-busting agency in Beijing. About 120 members of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection will hold the final plenum of their current term on Monday and Tuesday, before a new line-up is announced at the five-yearly... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2114437/chinas-corrupt-tigers-tipped-be-rarer-sight-plenty?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2114437/chinas-corrupt-tigers-tipped-be-rarer-sight-plenty?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Oct 2017 23:01:20 +0000 Emerging from his first term as China’s most powerful leader in decades, President Xi Jinping will be looking to dominate personnel decisions at a five-yearly shake-up later this month. At that much-anticipated meeting, which begins on October 18, the line-up will be unveiled for the Politburo and its Standing Committee – the country’s top echelons of power – for Xi’s second term at the helm of the world’s largest political party. Xi’s first term line-up was a compromise influenced by his two... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2114016/friends-high-places-xi-jinpings-determined-path-control?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2114016/friends-high-places-xi-jinpings-determined-path-control?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Oct 2017 13:30:00 +0000 One of the 13 Communist Party members to be barred from China’s most high-profile political assembly later this month on the grounds of “improper behaviour” comes from the Hong Kong, Macau or Taiwan division, according to a study of official documents by the South China Morning Post. Unlike the 12 other members disqualified from the nearly 2,300-strong 19th national party congress, his or her identity is unknown, highlighting the ruling party’s secretive approach towards the three territories... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2113738/hong-kong-macau-or-taiwan-home-mysterious-misbehaving?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2113738/hong-kong-macau-or-taiwan-home-mysterious-misbehaving?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Oct 2017 23:01:09 +0000 Authorities in the Chinese region of Xinjiang have abruptly cancelled the week-long National Day holiday “to prepare” for the Communist Party congress later this month, residents say. The last-minute blanket order affects civil servants, employees of state enterprises and government-affiliated units as well as teachers and some students in the far west region. Locals complained that they had to cancel travel plans after they were summoned back to work and school on Monday – the first time a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2113874/staff-called-back-work-xinjiang-scraps-week-long?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2113874/staff-called-back-work-xinjiang-scraps-week-long?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Oct 2017 14:30:30 +0000 Hu Chunhua, the man once tipped to take over China’s reins as a leader alongside disgraced Chongqing chief Sun Zhengcai, has thrown his weight behind Beijing’s decision to expel the former high-flyer. Chairing a meeting of senior cadres on Saturday, the Guangdong provincial party boss passed on details of the investigation and dismissal of Sun, urging Communist Party members to learn a lesson from the case, according to official media reports. He also called for loyalty to Xi and the party’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2113552/provincial-chief-expresses-support-sun-zhengcais?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2113552/provincial-chief-expresses-support-sun-zhengcais?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Oct 2017 05:00:30 +0000 Chinese Premier Li Keqiang will stay on as head of government for another term while President Xi Jinping’s name will be enshrined in the Communist Party’s charter alongside those of late leaders Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping, sources familiar with the situation told the South China Morning Post. With three weeks to go before an all-important national party congress that will decide China’s leadership line-up for the next five years, speculation about the gathering’s outcomes is mounting. Past... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2113305/confident-xi-reaches-out-trusted-colleagues?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2113305/confident-xi-reaches-out-trusted-colleagues?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 29 Sep 2017 02:15:15 +0000 China’s border police will maintain the highest security on the country’s frontiers with North Korea, India and Myanmar as the Communist Party gears up for its all-important national congress next month. The border forces under the People’s Armed Police became the latest government agency to make a show of support for President Xi Jinping, saying officers would focus on the frontiers to ensure stability for the five-yearly gathering. They would also tighten monitoring of coastal areas and ramp... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2113270/chinas-frontier-forces-pledge-top-border-security-show?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2113270/chinas-frontier-forces-pledge-top-border-security-show?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 Sep 2017 13:30:45 +0000 China has attacked WhatsApp, saying the messaging service should act to stop the spread of “illegal information” as the country seeks greater scrutiny of the internet in the run-up to its once-in-five years Communist Party congress. WhatsApp should take proactive measures to intercept information to do with violence and terror, the Cyberspace Administration of China said in a statement in response to questions from Bloomberg News. China has the authority to tell institutions to take these... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2113170/china-warns-whatsapp-stop-spread-illegal-information?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2113170/china-warns-whatsapp-stop-spread-illegal-information?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 Sep 2017 03:36:12 +0000 The party chief of Beijing has promised to eradicate online political rumours ahead of the Communist Party congress next month, suggesting tighter internet controls will be imposed in the run-up to the party’s five-yearly leadership transition. Domestic media coverage in recent months has been dominated by officially sanctioned propaganda on the key political meeting, but due to the opaque structures of the party it remains unclear what form the major leadership reshuffle will take. Speaking at... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2113041/beijing-party-boss-promises-eradicate-online-political?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2113041/beijing-party-boss-promises-eradicate-online-political?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 Sep 2017 07:15:30 +0000 All nations have a right to be involved in regional and global security issues, China’s President Xi Jinping said on Tuesday in his speech to mark the opening of Interpol’s general assembly in Beijing. “China is willing to work closely with other [Interpol] member states, international groups and institutions ... and actively participate in global security governance,” he said in a keynote address. Flanked by several of his top law enforcers, including party security chief Meng Jianzhu and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2112944/all-nations-have-right-be-involved-global-security-xi?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2112944/all-nations-have-right-be-involved-global-security-xi?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 Sep 2017 14:45:45 +0000 A new book of President Xi Jinping’s remarks on the youth wing of the Communist Party – many of which have been made public for the first time – may shed some light on the decline of this once influential faction in Chinese politics. The book released this month by an official publisher comes as it was confirmed this week that the Communist Youth League’s outgoing chief, Qin Yizhi, has been demoted, as reported earlier in the South China Morning Post . Qin, who held a ministerial-level position... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2112461/latest-xi-jinping-book-gives-clues-decline-communist?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2112461/latest-xi-jinping-book-gives-clues-decline-communist?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 23 Sep 2017 00:33:36 +0000 China’s anti-corruption tsar Wang Qishan reportedly met secretly with former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon in Beijing last week, adding to speculation over whether he will stay on during President Xi Jinping’s second term. Wang, who turned 69 this year, is expected to step down during the Communist Party’s five-yearly congress next month, in line with informal retirement rules. But there have been mixed signals as to whether Wang – a key ally of Xi and enforcer of his signature... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2112437/secret-meeting-steve-bannon-beijing-adds-speculation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2112437/secret-meeting-steve-bannon-beijing-adds-speculation?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 Sep 2017 09:46:34 +0000 The constitution of China’s Communist Party will be amended during the 19th party congress next month to include the political thoughts of President Xi Jinping, state media reported on Monday. Political analysts have long pondered how Xi’s political theories might be added to the charter, but the wait will soon be over, as the party’s 25-member politburo has already discussed a draft amendment that will be tabled for discussion at the twice-a-decade meeting, which opens on October 18, Xinhua... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2111746/xi-jinpings-political-thought-will-be-added-chinas?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2111746/xi-jinpings-political-thought-will-be-added-chinas?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 Sep 2017 15:00:45 +0000 The head of the Chinese Communist Party’s youth league – once the launch pad for many high-flying government officials careers – is likely to be demoted, sources familiar with the matter said. If confirmed, the departure of Qin Yizhi, first secretary at the league, would deal a further blow to the beleaguered faction of the party that was the power base of former president Hu Jintao and current Premier Li Keqiang. Qin has been told to move to another lower ranking job, the sources said. His new... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2110162/china-communist-youth-league-boss-faces-demotion?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2110162/china-communist-youth-league-boss-faces-demotion?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 Sep 2017 10:01:16 +0000