# China’s Xi clinches third term, packs leadership with loyalists Author: Pal Sinha, Barnali Author URL: https://financedigest.com/author/pal-sinha-barnali Published: 2022-10-24 Category: NEWS Category URL: https://financedigest.com/category/news Meta Title: China's Xi Jinping Secures Third Leadership Term, cements power with loyalist allies Meta Description: Xi Jinping solidifies power with loyalist top governing body, furthering his authoritarian direction since 2012. Challenges ahead as economy slows and tensions URL: https://financedigest.com/chinas-xi-clinches-third-term-packs-leadership-with-loyalistshtml ![undefined](https://prod.superblogcdn.com/site_cuid_cm5qst7v3003gwirgwqtxn8i8/images/2022-10-23t041729z1lynxmpei9m00vrtroptp4china-congress-leadership-1736814986863-compressed.jpg) By Yew Lun Tian and Tony Munroe BEIJING (Reuters) -China’s Xi Jinping secured a precedent-breaking third leadership term on Sunday and introduced a top governing body stacked with loyalists, cementing his place as the country’s most powerful ruler since Mao Zedong. Shanghai Communist Party chief Li Qiang followed Xi onto the stage at the Great Hall of the People as the new Politburo Standing Committee was introduced, putting him in line to become premier when Li Keqiang retires in March. The other members of the seven-man Standing Committee are 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. All are seen by analysts to have close allegiance to Xi, the son of a Communist Party revolutionary who has taken [China in a more authoritarian direction since rising](https://www.financedigest.com/dollar-slips-after-upbeat-china-data-euro-pound-rise.html "Dollar slips after upbeat China data; euro, pound rise") to power in 2012. Richard McGregor, senior fellow for East Asia at the Lowy Institute [think tank](https://www.financedigest.com/new-uk-pm-must-be-radical-to-stop-power-bill-catastrophe-think-tank.html "New UK PM must be radical to stop power bill catastrophe – think tank") in Sydney, said the result was a resounding victory for Xi. All of his rivals, potential and real, have been forced out of the Politburo [Standing Committee and Xi loyalists took their place](https://www.financedigest.com/stratfords-legacy-wharf-stands-place-invest-2019.html "Stratford’s Legacy Wharf Stands Out As Place To Invest In 2019"). The new Politburo is an emphatic statement of Xi’s dominance over the party.” The unveiling of the Standing Committee and the 24-member Politburo [comes a day](https://www.financedigest.com/have-multi-asset-funds-had-their-day-or-is-their-best-yet-to-come-new-whitepaper-from-camradata-explores.html "Have multi-asset funds had their day or is their best yet to come? New whitepaper from CAMRADATA explores") after the closing of the Communist Party’s 20th Congress, where amendments were added to the party charter cementing the core status of Xi and the guiding role of his political thought within the party. Still, the 69-year-old Xi faces stiff challenges as the [world’s second-largest economy](https://www.financedigest.com/at-chinas-largest-trade-fair-exporters-worry-about-world-economy.html "At China’s largest trade fair, exporters worry about world economy") slows and frustration over his zero-COVID policy grows. China is also increasingly estranged from the West, exacerbated by Xi’s support for Russia’s Vladimir Putin and mounting [tensions over Taiwan](https://www.financedigest.com/biden-begins-fifth-call-with-chinas-xi-looking-to-tamp-down-taiwan-tension.html "Biden begins fifth call with China’s Xi, looking to tamp down Taiwan tension"). This is a leadership that will be focused on achieving Xi’s political goals, rather than pursuing their own agendas for what they think is best for the country,” said Drew Thompson, a visiting senior [research fellow at the National](https://www.financedigest.com/a-nation-of-toffs-research-reveals-what-brits-class-as-posh-in-2016.html "A nation of toffs: Research reveals what Brits class as ‘posh’ in 2016") University of Singapore’s Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy. “There is only one correct way to govern, and that is Xi’s way.” XI’S NEW MEN Putin congratulated Xi, [saying he looked forward to further developing](https://www.financedigest.com/crypto-firms-will-develop-offshore-without-clear-us-rules-coinbase-chief-says.html "Crypto firms will develop ‘offshore’ without clear US rules, Coinbase chief says") a “comprehensive partnership” between their two countries. The [results of the Party](https://www.financedigest.com/centre-right-gerb-party-leads-in-bulgaria-election-partial-results.html "Centre-right GERB party leads in Bulgaria election -partial results") Congress fully confirm your high political authority, as well as the unity of the party you lead,” Putin told Xi, according to the Kremlin’s website. North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un also sent a congratulatory letter to Xi, state news agency KCNA reported. As expected, the new Standing Committee line-up does not include a clear successor to Xi, whose predecessor Hu Jintao was unexpectedly escorted out of the congress closing ceremony on Saturday. The ascension of Li Qiang, 63, to the number two spot, meanwhile, speaks to the importance of ties to Xi. As Shanghai party chief, Li was a lightning rod for some of the public ire that made it [past censors over the city’s grinding two-month COVID-19 lockdown earlier this year](https://www.financedigest.com/big-banks-want-survive-past-next-10-years-need-adapt.html "If the big banks want to survive past the next 10 years, they need to adapt"). But Li and Xi share a long history, including Li’s stint as Xi’s chief of staff when Xi was party chief in [Zhejiang province](https://www.financedigest.com/sibos-2019-a-first-for-london-and-a-first-for-zhejiang-province-china.html "Sibos 2019 – A first for London and a first for Zhejiang province, China"). Another new Standing Committee member is Xi’s private secretary and gatekeeper, Ding Xuexiang, who at 60 is the youngest on the new panel. Ding heads the party Central Committee’s powerful General Office, which [manages the administrative affairs of the top leadership](https://www.financedigest.com/leadership-vs-management-can-you-be-good-at-both.html "Leadership vs. Management – Can You Be Good At Both?"). Cai Qi, 66, joins the Standing Committee from his post as Beijing party [chief and is considered](https://www.financedigest.com/eu-will-consider-making-countries-fill-gas-storage-energy-chief.html "EU will consider making countries fill gas storage – energy chief") one of Xi’s closest political allies, having worked with him for 20 years in the coastal provinces of Fujian and Zhejiang. The fourth newcomer is Li Xi, 66, party [chief of economic](https://www.financedigest.com/global-economic-crisis-strangling-progress-for-poor-warns-u-n-development-chief.html "Global economic crisis strangling progress for poor, warns U.N. development chief") powerhouse Guangdong province, who is also perceived by experts to be ideologically close to Xi, although they do not share a history of working together as the others do. CONSPICUOUS ABSENCES The unveiling comes a day after Li Keqiang and Wang Yang, seen by analysts as relative moderates that were [young enough to serve longer in top](https://www.financedigest.com/young-leaders-forum-top-5-tips-from-jamal-edwards-mbe.html "Young Leaders Forum: Top 5 Tips from Jamal Edwards MBE") decision-making bodies, were excluded from the wider Central Committee. Both have ties with the Communist Youth League, a once-influential [group that experts say](https://www.financedigest.com/saipem-shares-drop-group-says-cannot-explain-why.html "Saipem shares drop, group says cannot explain why") has lost power under Xi. Another conspicuous absence from Sunday’s unveiling was Hu Chunhua, a vice premier who had been considered by some party-watchers as a candidate for the premiership and who also has Youth League roots. Hu, 59, was not chosen to return to the Politburo. Also missing from the Politburo: any women. The lone woman on the last Politburo, Sun Chunlan, retired after two terms. Xi laid the groundwork to rule beyond a decade when he eliminated the two-term limit on the presidency in 2018. His term as president is likely to be renewed at the annual parliamentary session in March, where the next premier will also be [officially named](https://www.financedigest.com/italy-names-former-treasury-official-to-head-ita-airways.html "Italy names former Treasury official to head ITA Airways"). Xi’s full control means his team will be fully responsible for any policy mistake,” said Yang Zhang, assistant professor at American University’s School of [International Service](https://www.financedigest.com/how-to-choose-the-right-service-for-your-international-money-transfer-needs.html "How to choose the right service for your international money transfer needs") in Washington. “His autocracy may provoke stronger international pushback from the U.S.-led Western countries. All of these scenarios will make his [third and likely fourth terms](https://www.financedigest.com/analysis-how-chinas-xi-accumulated-power-and-why-it-matters-in-a-third-term.html "Analysis-How China’s Xi accumulated power, and why it matters in a third term") not as easy as expected,” he said. (Reporting by Yew Lun Tian, Eduardo Baptista and Martin Quin Pollard; Writing by Tony Munroe; Editing by Lincoln Feast and William Mallard) --- This blog is powered by Superblog. Visit https://superblog.ai to know more. ---