China’s Political Shift: Xi Jinping’s Power Consolidation Leaves Premier in Shadows

Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party and President of China, attended a full delegation meeting of Jiangsu Province at the People’s Congress Hall in Beijing on the 5th, the opening day of the 14th National People’s Congress. It appears to be concretizing in the long-term or permanent seizure of power beyond a one-person rule system. /People’s Daily

The long-term rule of Xi Jinping, who perfectly confirmed his third term at the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in October 2022, is gradually becoming concrete. It is not entirely impossible to even consider the possibility of permanent rule.

According to well-informed sources in Chinese politics on the 6th, more than a few signs prove the observation. First, we can point out the reality that Li Qiang, the second in the party-government power hierarchy, has almost no presence. Li Qiang doesn’t show authority as the second person, which the former prime minister Li Keqiang, who has now passed away, hinted even until last year. Moreover, he does not seem to have much resistance to this situation.

In the end, a decision was made to abolish the tradition of holding a prime minister’s press conference right after the closing ceremony on the 5th in the opening ceremony of the National People’s Congress, which is one of the second meeting of the 14th Two Sessions (Chinese government’s annual plenary sessions of the National People’s Congress (NPC) and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference). This is the first time in 33 years and is sufficient evidence that the current prime minister’s status is the worst.

The State Council-related law is being revised for the first time in about 40 years at this National People’s Congress, which closes on the 11th. This should also be mentioned. If you look at the content related to the most important prime minister’s status, it seems it should be really. It is expected to be adjusted somewhat lower than before.

At this point, Prime Minister Li is just the head of the State Council (executive branch), which President Xi symbolically holds concurrently. If you combine recent reports from foreign media, the primary purpose of revising the State Council-related law may lay here.

It is also necessary to pay attention to the fact that no young blood could succeed President Xi, even if you look for it with your eyes wide open. The atmosphere was different just before President Xi took power. First, there was former President Hu Jintao during the reign of former General Secretary and President Jiang Zemin. There was no reason to be different during the reign of former President Hu Jintao. Now, President Xi and former Prime Minister Li come.

But it completely changed after President Xi took power. Vice President Hu Chunhua, who served as Deputy Prime Minister, was mentioned, but it was immediately erased. He also lay flat just in case he got hurt. It seems that he knew President Xi’s obsession with the long-term seizure of power. It will certainly be so in the future.

There is no need to mention other young blood in this situation where the once crown prince acts like this. The scenario of President Xi’s long-term or permanent seizure of power seems to have become entirely mainstream.