China Briefing | Despite retirement, Xi’s right-hand man Wang Qishan is still within arm’s reach
At 69, China’s anti-graft tsar has stepped down from China’s Politburo Standing Committee, but his new special duties cement his continued political influence
Yet, due to the opaque nature of Chinese politics, there is more to this than meets the eye. Subsequent media reports lamenting the end of Wang’s remarkable political career could also be off the mark.
As reported by the South China Morning Post, he will still attend Politburo Standing Committee meetings where key decisions are made, a rare privilege that suggests his political influence will continue to be felt.
He is also expected to be named as the country’s vice-president at the next session of the National People’s Congress in March. Then, the national legislature will endorse the leadership line-up of the state, including re-electing Xi as the president for another five-year term and the senior officials for the Cabinet. But this will merely be a formality, as their government appointments were decided along with their party positions at the 19th congress.