New Delhi: Xi Jinping secured a historic third term as Chinese President on Sunday and introduced a Politburo Standing Committee, a leadership committee, stacked with loyalists positioning himself as the country’s most powerful leader since Mao Zedong, reported news agency Reuters. Sun Chunlan, the only woman sitting on the previous Politburo has retired and the newly formed leadership committee now includes no woman.
Shanghai Communist Party chief Li Qiang, 63, followed Xi onto the stage at the Great Hall of the People as the new leadership team was introduced, meaning he is likely to succeed Li Keqiang as premier when he retires in March, stated the report.
The other members of the seven-member China’s top governing body, the Standing Committee included Zhao Leji and Wang Huning, who return from the previous committee, and newcomers Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang and Li Xi. Li Qiang is also new to the Standing Committee.
According to the report, all are perceived to have close allegiance to Xi, 69, who was also re-appointed on Sunday as chairman of the Central Military Commission.
The unveiling of the Standing Committee and the larger 24-member Politburo comes a day after the closing of the ruling Communist Party's 20th Congress, where amendments were added to the party charter aimed at cementing the core status of Xi and the guiding role of his political thought within the party.
The Standing Committee lineup is further confirmation that Xi's grip on power is undiminished by the events of a tumultuous year, including a sharp economic slowdown, frustration over his zero-COVID policy, and China's increasing estrangement from the West, exacerbated by his support for Russia's Vladimir Putin, reported the news agency.
Announcement of Xi becoming the Chinese President for a third time culminated a week-long gathering of party faithful in China’s capital during which high-ranking officials endorsed his “core position” in the leadership and approved a sweeping reshuffle which made several top officials step down.