Shake-up at the top of China’s Communist Party as Xi Jinping starts new term
- Veterans Li Keqiang and Wang Yang are not among the names of the Central Committee announced at the close of the party congress
- But General Zhang Youxia and Wang Yi will stay on past the customary retirement age
Four members of the Politburo Standing Committee – the highest decision-making body in China – are missing from the list, confirming an earlier report by the South China Morning Post.
Ranked in order of their party hierarchy, they are Premier Li Keqiang, 67; National People’s Congress chairman Li Zhanshu, 72; Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference chairman Wang Yang, 67; and Vice-Premier Han Zheng, 68.
This means they will go into full retirement.
02:03
China’s 20th party congress concludes with bigger than expected leadership reshuffle
The Central Committee, with around 200 full members, reports to the 25-member Politburo, which is headed by the Politburo Standing Committee. Making the list is essential for any important state or government position.
