https://www.scmp.com/rss/325592/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com A “reticent” general who was instrumental in the break-up of the strategic missile force he headed – even though it was not in his interests – is expected to become China’s new defence minister, sources said. General Wei Fenghe was named as one of the members of the Communist Party’s powerful Central Military Commission (CMC) on October 25. Wei, the last commander of the Second Artillery Corps – before it became the People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force – is known as a strategist whose political... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2134555/reticent-general-rockets-ranks-central-military?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2134555/reticent-general-rockets-ranks-central-military?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 24 Feb 2018 06:30:00 +0000 When Li Qiang became party chief of Jiangsu in June last year, it was the first time he had worked outside his home province of Zhejiang in more than three decades in politics. Situated on China’s east coast, just north of Zhejiang, Jiangsu has the second-largest gross domestic product of all the country’s provinces – it is second only to the southern economic powerhouse of Guangdong. Jiangsu’s GDP expanded 7.8 per cent in 2016 from a year earlier to more than 7.6 trillion yuan (US$1.14... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2117420/li-qiang-keen-supporter-private-sector-and-xi?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2117420/li-qiang-keen-supporter-private-sector-and-xi?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Oct 2017 03:31:19 +0000 China’s Communist Party unveiled its new leadership team on Wednesday. The membership of the party’s supreme decision-making body, the Politburo Standing Committee, remains at seven. Other than Xi Jinping and Li Keqiang, the other five members of the committee are new faces following the retirement of the previous members. The six other Standing Committee members will play a key role in affirming the core leadership of Xi, who has had his name enshrined in the party charter. The party also... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2116951/premier-lis-second-term-likonomics-following-orders?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2116951/premier-lis-second-term-likonomics-following-orders?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Oct 2017 12:45:00 +0000 Wang Yang is one of the new members of the Communist Party’s Politburo Standing Committee. Here we present a snapshot of his career: Wang Yang, who has just been named as one of China’s top leaders, is perhaps best known outside the country for the unlikely image of a senior Chinese politician cracking jokes at a Sino-US summit. Wang broke the stereotype of the humourless and bland Chinese Communist Party technocrat by jesting that China and America’s relationship was like a marriage, but then... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2116738/wang-yang-joker-and-reformer-xi-jinpings-new-pack?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2116738/wang-yang-joker-and-reformer-xi-jinpings-new-pack?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Oct 2017 11:00:00 +0000 Li Zhanshu is one of the new members of the Communist Party’s Politburo Standing Committee. Here we take a dive into his background: When Li Zhanshu was named de facto chief of staff to the head of China’s Communist Party five years ago, just months before Xi Jinping became its leader, few people expected he would one day ascend to the party’s apex of power. But his “election” to the party’s supreme Politburo Standing Committee on Wednesday, ranking just after Xi and Premier Li Keqiang, was no... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2116576/li-zhanshu-key-aide-chinas-xi-jinping-vaults-top?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2116576/li-zhanshu-key-aide-chinas-xi-jinping-vaults-top?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Oct 2017 11:00:00 +0000 Han Zheng is one of the new members of the Communist Party’s Politburo Standing Committee. Here we examine his path to a seat at the innermost decision-making body: If Shanghai Communist Party boss Han Zheng has proved anything over the past decade it is that he knows how to navigate choppy waters. In 2008, Han, then the financial hub’s mayor, looked to be heading for the exit rather than the highest reaches of power, as his immediate boss was ordered to serve 18 years behind bars for his role... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2116965/han-zheng-chinese-technocrat-who-rose-top-staying?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2116965/han-zheng-chinese-technocrat-who-rose-top-staying?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Oct 2017 11:00:00 +0000 Zhao Leji is one of the new members of the Communist Party’s Politburo Standing Committee. Here we present a snapshot of his career: As the Communist Party’s personnel chief, Zhao Leji’s big job has been to fill the vacancies left by a legion of cadres caught up in the president’s anti-corruption campaign. Now he is filling a vacancy himself by taking up a seat at the top table of power in China, the Politburo Standing Committee. At 60, Zhao is the youngest of the group of seven, giving him a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2116740/zhao-leji-younger-gun-playing-second-fiddle-xi-jinping?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2116740/zhao-leji-younger-gun-playing-second-fiddle-xi-jinping?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Oct 2017 11:00:00 +0000 Wang Huning is one of the new members of the Communist Party’s Politburo Standing Committee. Here we have a look at his road to the top: Despite having served as an adviser to three Chinese presidents, remarkably little is known about the personal life of Wang Huning, who as the top official in charge of ideology, propaganda and party organisation is now one of the most powerful politicians in the country. While his face might be unfamiliar to the public, his words will not be. Wang has been... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2116964/wang-huning-low-profile-liberal-dream-weaver-whos-about?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2116964/wang-huning-low-profile-liberal-dream-weaver-whos-about?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Oct 2017 11:00:00 +0000 General Zhang Youxia is one of the two vice-chairmen of the Central Military Commission. Here we take a look at his career: General Zhang Youxia, 67, a close ally of President Xi Jinping, was promoted to second-ranked vice-chairman of China’s powerful Central Military Commission (CMC) at the first plenum of the Communist Party’s new Central Committee on Wednesday. The former director of the CMC’s Equipment Development Department is widely considered one of the men party chief and CMC chairman Xi... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2116936/general-zhang-youxia-xi-jinpings-sworn-brother-now-his?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2116936/general-zhang-youxia-xi-jinpings-sworn-brother-now-his?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Oct 2017 10:06:51 +0000 General Xu Qiliang is one of the two vice-chairmen of the Central Military Commission. Here we present a snapshot of his career: General Xu Qiliang, who joined the air force when he was only 16, climbed to the top of the military ladder on Wednesday when he became the top-ranked vice-chairman of China’s powerful Central Military Commission (CMC), which is chaired by Communist Party general secretary Xi Jinping. The promotion, announced by the first plenum of the party’s new Central Committee,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2116939/general-xu-qiliang-how-chinese-air-force-top-gun-shot?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2116939/general-xu-qiliang-how-chinese-air-force-top-gun-shot?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Oct 2017 10:04:39 +0000