IN OR OUT?
At least two of the seven current Standing Committee members are expected to retire due to age norms. Reports this week in the Wall Street Journal and South China Morning Post suggest there could be as many as four openings, with Premier Li, 67, possibly among those stepping down.
As for the next premier, although Wang Yang, 67, and Hu Chunhua, 59, a former and current vice premier, respectively, are both considered by analysts to be well-qualified by the traditional standards of a role charged with overseeing the economy, they lack long-term connections to Xi.
Shanghai party boss Li Qiang, who has long-standing ties to Xi, is likely to join the PSC and is considered a leading contender to be premier, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing unnamed sources close to party leaders.
Li’s elevation to premier would be a strong sign of the importance of loyalty to Xi following Shanghai’s punishing and unpopular two-month COVID-19 lockdown this year, for which Li drew heavy blame from residents.
Another loyalist seen by party watchers as a candidate for promotion is Ding Xuexiang, 60, who is Xi’s chief secretary and head of the Central Committee’s powerful General Office, which manages the administrative affairs of the top leadership.