Xi Jinping strengthens his power: Close confidants in the government promote South Africa’s president acquitted in an affair of stealing cash

With the largest reshuffle of the Chinese government in a decade, head of state and party leader Xi Jinping has further strengthened his power. At the annual meeting of the People’s Congress in Beijing on Sunday, the nearly 3,000 delegates approved the appointment of further Xi trust to the new leadership. His old companion Li Qiang became the new prime minister on Saturday. The 63-year-old took over from Li Keqiang (67), who belongs to another camp within the Communist Party.

The new head of government can look back on a long political career, especially on the prosperous east coast of the country with 1.4 billion inhabitants. He is considered pragmatic. In 2007, Li Qiang first worked directly under Xi Jinping, then party leader of the important province of Zhejiang. As party secretary in Shanghai, Li Qiang has been promoting the economy and promoting foreign investment since 2017. But he was also responsible for the chaotic Covid-19 lockdown in Shanghai in the spring of 2022. It has benefited his career.

In the Great Hall of the People, the People’s Congress, with its non-freely elected delegates, also approved the proposals for the posts of the four deputy heads of government and other cabinet members. The old Xi confidante Ding Xuexiang (60) became the executive first vice. The new defense minister is General Li Shangfu (65), formerly head of weapons development in the military commission and head of the manned space program. The United States imposed sanctions on the general under President Donald Trump in 2018.

The appointment of more of Xi Jinping’s confidants to the government has met with mixed reactions. “They’re pumpjacks, but they’re capable,” says Jacob Gunter of the Merics China Institute in Berlin. “There could be an echo chamber where no one like (outgoing prime minister) Li Keqiang has left, is able to dissent and add other perspectives, and maybe advocate for a moderate agenda.”

On the other hand, it can also be argued that a circle of close confidants “without factions” eventually leads to “fair discussion” in the management team, according to Gunter. This is necessary to tackle the many structural problems in the Chinese economy. However, he is often skeptical and concerned.

Surprisingly, Xi Jinping kept key members of his finance and trade teams in office, apparently to maintain stability. Yi Gang, 65, whose recall was expected, remains central bank governor. Finance Minister Liu Kun (66) and Commerce Minister Wang Wentao (58) also kept their posts.

“It’s a pragmatic choice because the new leaders need professional experts to deal with complex economic and financial challenges,” Zheng Zhiwei, chief economist at Pinpoint Asset Management, told Bloomberg Finance Agency of the finance officials’ confirmation. “Management knows that building confidence is a top priority.”

The People’s Congress ends Monday with the approval of the budget and a hefty 7.2 percent increase in defense spending amid tensions with the US. After the end of the zero Covid strategy with lockdowns and enforced quarantine in December, the government believes the second largest economy will recover this year with growth of “around five percent”.

Xi Jinping was confirmed on Friday for an unprecedented third term as president. At the party congress in October, he already passed the previously respected age and term of office: the 69-year-old had a permanent leadership role established in the party statutes. He could even remain in office for life. In doing so, he joins the ranks of state founder and ‘eternal revolutionary’ Mao Tsetung (1893-1976).

To ensure that a leader never becomes so powerful again, China had actually pursued a leadership team composed of different factions: “An over-concentration of power is responsible for invoking arbitrary rule by individuals,” reform architect Deng Xiaoping (1904-1997) . ) once warned. But Xi Jinping has gradually dismantled this “collective leadership model” since taking office in 2012, sidelining opponents. (sda/dpa)