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How Xi Jinping and China’s Communist Party’s inner circles are all connected - 2023 update

Xi Jinping highlights importance of innovation on path to ‘Chinese-style modernisation’

China puts scientist in charge of Communist Party’s human resources department

China’s 20th Party Congress

China’s Communist Party: the rules for reaching the top – and staying there

News

China

Politics

Why is retirement beckoning for 11 members of the Communist Party of China’s top decision-making body?

Illustration: Perry Tse

Mao Zedong in 1969, three years into the decade-long Cultural Revolution. Photo: AP

An exhibition at the Museum of the Communist Party of China in Beijing in November features pictures of President Xi Jinping. Photo: EPA

President Xi Jinping applauds those awarded medals during an event celebrating the 40th anniversary of reform and opening-up at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing in December 2018. Photo: Xinhua

Xi Jinping is on course to become party leader for a third term – the first to do so since the death of Mao Zedong in 1976 – but 11 of the 24 other Politburo members are likely to retire.


Why size matters when it comes to China’s new leadership line-up

Illustration: Henry Wong

President Xi Jinping (right) arrives at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing with Premier Li Keqiang (left) and the five other members of the Politburo Standing Committee ahead of National Day last year. Photo: AFP

The Politburo Standing Committee is the party’s top decision-making body, but there are no written rules on how many members it can have. Analysts say its size is unlikely to change since Xi has cemented his power.


The Communist Party is set to hold its 20th national congress in mid-October, a gathering that will usher in a new line-up of the party’s leadership. This three-part series explores the rules of the personnel reshuffle.


China’s 20th Party Congress: Analysis

China’s 20th Party Congress: All Articles

China’s Communist Party

Series

China’s Communist Party: the rules for reaching the top – and staying there

The Communist Party is set to hold its 20th national congress in mid-October, a gathering that will usher in a new line-up of the party’s leadership. This three-part series explores the rules of the personnel reshuffle.

Why is retirement beckoning for 11 members of China’s Politburo?

Xi Jinping is on course to become party leader for a third term – the first to do so since the death of Mao Zedong in 1976 – but 11 of the 24 other Politburo members are likely to retire.

Will Xi Jinping change the size of China’s supreme decision-making body?

The Politburo Standing Committee is the party’s top decision-making body, but there are no written rules on how many members it can have. Analysts say its size is unlikely to change since Xi has cemented his power.