The Chinese President Xi Jinping is yet to decide his next chief of staff, a position that Ding Xuexiang occupies. The role in Chinese Communist Party (CPC) terms is known as director of the General Office of the Chinese Communist Party’s Central Committee.
According to a report by Nikkei, Ding ascended from his post and became a member of the Politburo Standing Committee in October and is likely to be named as vice premier in March.
He became the chief-of-staff of China in October 2017 during the twice-a-decade party congress and succeeded Li Zhanshu, who was appointed in September 2012. Zhanshu helped the transition from then-Chinese President Hu Jintao to Xi, according to Nikkei.
The Chinese Communist Party’s central committee during its second plenum, which began on Sunday, are focusing on candidates who may succeed Ding.
One potential candidate is Wang Xiaohong, minister of public security. He is a trusted ally of Xi Jinping and both of them have known each other for almost two decades - starting from the time when Xi was governor of China’s Fujian.
The Nikkei report said he could be elevated to the role of state councillor at the National People’s Congress in March, which will add to his duties under the Ministry of Public Security. Under the power bestowed to him under Ministry of Public Security, Wang oversees party elders and senior officials.
There have been some concerns that his effectiveness as chief of staff would be impacted due to multiple roles.
The Nikkei report has termed Ding’s subordinate Meng Xiangfeng as a ‘dark horse’. He could be promoted from his current position of deputy director to director, taking a similar promotion path as Ding.
However, since he is not a member of the Secretariat of the Central Committee by convention - a prerequisite for the director post - and also since his ties with Xi are unclear, he may face some obstacles. The report said that the decision on the next chief of staff is being stalled because the Xi regime is also planning organisational reforms.
The reforms will be approved by the committees during the National People’s Congress in March and are currently being discussed now.
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