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Pair poised for top posts in Xi Jinping’s leadership reshuffle: Sources

BEIJING — Chinese President Xi Jinping’s trusted ally Li Zhanshu stands a good chance of becoming chairman of China’s parliament while Communist Party organisation chief Zhao Leji is likely to head its corruption watchdog, sources told the South China Morning Post (SCMP).

Chinese President Xi Jinping speaking at the opening session of the Chinese Communist Party's Congress in Beijing on Oct 18, 2017. Photo: AFP

Chinese President Xi Jinping speaking at the opening session of the Chinese Communist Party's Congress in Beijing on Oct 18, 2017. Photo: AFP

BEIJING — Chinese President Xi Jinping’s trusted ally Li Zhanshu stands a good chance of becoming chairman of China’s parliament while Communist Party organisation chief Zhao Leji is likely to head its corruption watchdog, sources told the South China Morning Post (SCMP).

Mr Li is widely expected to be elevated to the Politburo Standing Committee – the ruling Communist Party’s top echelon of power – next Wednesday (Oct 25), a day after the party’s 19th national congress closes in Beijing. Most observers have predicted that he would succeed Mr Wang Qishan as anti-corruption tsar.

But two well-placed sources told SCMP that Mr Li would, instead, most likely head the National People’s Congress (NPC) – theoretically the highest organ of state power in China – when current chairman Zhang Dejiang retires next March. Whether Mr Li would also take over the Hong Kong and Macau affairs portfolio currently overseen by Mr Zhang is not clear.

“Li Zhanshu will succeed Zhang Dejiang,” a source familiar with the situation said, adding that Mr Zhao would also be promoted into the Politburo Standing Committee and is likely to succeed Mr Wang in leading anti-corruption work. The moves were confirmed separately by another source.

While they may come as a surprise to some, they reflect Mr Xi’s new policy direction for the next five years laid out in his maiden party congress speech on the opening day of the congress on Wednesday (Oct 18). The president stressed the need to tighten supervision of party members and institutionalise anti-corruption work. He also highlighted the need to improve “law-based governance” by improving “the Chinese socialist system of laws”; in other words, the institutionalisation of the party’s power through legislation.

To achieve those goals, Mr Xi plans to set up a central leading group “to exercise leadership over the (anti-graft) initiative”. He also plans to introduce a national supervision law and set up a national supervisory commission.

All those plans would heavily involve the NPC and the party’s anti-graft watchdog, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI).

Having Mr Li – director of the party Central Committee’s General Office and effectively Mr Xi’s chief of staff ­– head the NPC would smoothen the work, political analysts said.

Professor Steve Tsang, director of the SOAS China Institute at the University of London, said that Mr Li becoming China’s top legislator would ensure “strong support for Xi” from the NPC in the next five years.

“The NPC may not be a key pillar of power in the sense of the British House of Commons or the US Congress, but having it under a trusted subordinate means Xi is putting himself in a strong position to make (legislative) changes,” Prof Tsang said.

Associate Professor Chen Daoyin, a political scientist at Shanghai University of Political Science and Law, said that Mr Li’s connection with Mr Xi could also strengthen the power of the NPC.

“Thanks to Xi’s backing, Li could turn this role into something much more than a rubber stamp if he is made the NPC chairman,” Prof Chen observed, adding that Mr Li, 67, could be elevated to Number 3 in the party hierarchy after his ascension.

Mr Li was one of the key officials who accompanied Mr Xi to Hong Kong in July for celebrations marking the 20th anniversary of its return to Chinese sovereignty. Professor Lau Siu-kai, vice-chairman of the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macau Studies, said that Mr Xi had clearly spelled out the political direction Hong Kong should take during that visit.

“Whoever takes over from Zhang Dejiang will only be an implementer,” Prof Lau noted. “I believe Xi will continue to watch over Hong Kong affairs. But given the strong ties between Xi and Li, if Li takes charge of Hong Kong affairs, he will understand the president’s thinking better (than others).”

Promoting party personnel chief Zhao, at the relatively young age of 60, into the Politburo Standing Committee to lead the anti-graft effort would enable Mr Xi to ensure the continuity of his anti-corruption campaign and speed up the institutionalisation of party supervision, a source said.

“Given Zhao’s age, he could end up serving two terms on the Politburo Standing Committee,” the source said. “His role in the party will rise. This will help to establish continuity and to deepen the anti-corruption work. His experience as the party’s organisation chief will be valuable for the new job.”

The source added that as the new head of the CCDI, Mr Zhao stood a good chance of being named head of the new national supervisory commission that is expected to be established early next year.

Both Profs Chen and Tsang agreed with that assessment and said they expected Mr Zhao would lead the powerful new commission.

Prof Chen said that Mr Zhao could wield huge political power if he became the head of both the CCDI and the national supervisory commission.

Prof Tsang was more cautious and said Mr Zhao still needed to prove himself.

“Five years is an eternity in politics,” Prof Tsang said, “I doubt that Xi has already decided if Zhao will serve one term or two as head of disciplinary affairs. He will be judged on how well he can maintain party discipline and rally the rest of the party to support Xi.” SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST

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