The Chinese Communist Party unveils its new leadership lineup at the XX National Congress
The Chinese Communist Party announced its latest leadership composition during the farewell and closing ceremony of the XX National Congress, as reported by the Xinhua News Agency.
As anticipated, premier Li Keqiang was not named to the Standing Committee, the party’s top decision-making body. At 67, Li had been signaling an earlier retirement and is expected to step back, even though he is still a year from the standard retirement age. That rule does not apply to the party’s general secretary and the country’s head of state, President Xi Jinping.
Also departing were other veteran officials, including Li Zhanshu, 72, the chairman of the National People’s Congress; Wang Yang, 67, who leads the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference; and Han Zheng, 68, the deputy premier, all confirmed by sources including the South China Morning Post.
During the congress, which Xi Jinping personally chaired, the party elected 200 members to the Central Committee and 170 alternate members who will determine the party’s leadership for the next five years. The Central Committee then chose 25 members for the Politburo, which in turn reports to the party’s Standing Committee.
In his closing remarks, Xi urged the new Central Committee to pursue a political development path that remains aligned with socialism with Chinese characteristics and to uphold the organic unity of party leadership.
Xi also signaled a commitment to strengthen popular oversight of the country and to advance what he described as a process of expanding democratic participation. The emphasis was on cultivating a patriotic united front and promoting a comprehensive, consultative form of democracy, in line with the party leadership’s stated views.
The president called for a stronger role for the rule of law in building a modern socialist country. He outlined plans to develop the socialist legal system with the Constitution at its core, advocate for a law-based government, ensure fair and rigorous justice, and accelerate the creation of a law-governed society, according to his statements.
Xi highlighted the importance of applying a general security concept across the Central Committee’s policy framework and ensuring national security throughout the party and the country’s activities. He also called for improvements to the national security system and the capacity to safeguard public safety, with governance at all levels strengthened.
Overall, Xi is seen as moving to consolidate authority in the face of a globally complex environment and multiple internal challenges. His leadership is framed as achieving achievements that some delegates and observers describe as both remarkable and unusual for a leader whose ascent reshaped the political landscape of the world’s largest political organization.
Notes on attribution: information from the Xinhua News Agency and corroborated by regional publications is cited for context around leadership changes and formal procedures within the party structure. (Xinhua)