From Xi's historic third term to leadership reshuffle: Key highlights from China's Communist Party congress - CNA

Chinese President Xi Jinping secured a historic third term as China's leader on Sunday (Oct 23), shortly after the first meeting of the new Central Committee, which was elected on Saturday.

Xi walked at the head of the group at the presentation event for the Communist Party's seven-member Standing Committee, a position reserved for the party's general secretary.

The anointment of Xi came after a week-long congress which saw a sweeping reshuffle of the Central Committee, where a number of top officials - including Premier Li Keqiang - stepped down, as well as the endorsement of Xi's "core position" among the country's leadership.

CNA looks at the key highlights:

A HISTORIC THIRD TERM

Xi's reappointment as general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party for another five-year term effectively cements his position as the nation's most powerful leader since Mao Zedong, as it tilts the country decisively back towards one-man rule after decades of power-sharing among its elite.

Former leader Deng Xiaoping had written the presidential two-term limit into the constitution in 1982 to institutionalise succession but Xi abolished that limit in 2018.

The 69-year-old is now all but certain to sail through to a third term as China's president, due to be formally announced during the government's annual legislative sessions in March.

Since becoming the country's leader a decade ago, Xi has achieved a concentration of power like no modern Chinese ruler other than Mao.

He proposed the Belt and Road Initiative, pushed for China's rapid expansion in the South China Sea and hosted the 2022 Winter Olympics.

Xi also oversaw China's rise as the world's second-biggest economy, a huge military expansion and a far more aggressive global posture that has drawn strong opposition from the United States.

LEADERSHIP SHUFFLE

The Politburo Standing Committee of seven people, which included re-elected general secretary Xi, was revealed on Sunday.

The Standing Committee, which saw four new faces, represents the apex of political power in China.

The committee members were elected by the newly-minted Central Committee of around 200 senior party officials.

Former Shanghai party chief Li Qiang, a confidante of Xi's, was promoted to number two in the party hierarchy, making him likely to be named premier at the government's annual legislative sessions next March.

It would be an unusual appointment since Li, unlike most past premiers, does not have experience as a vice premier managing central government portfolios.

The 63-year-old rising star's prospects were seemingly in doubt after he bungled a harsh two-month lockdown of Shanghai earlier this year that saw residents left with a lack of access to food and medical care.

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2022-10-23 07:44:00Z
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Who's on the Chinese Communist Party's new Politburo Standing Committee? - CNA

This "showcases to everyone that loyalty rather than popularity is the key for your promotion", tweeted Yang Zhang, an assistant professor at American University in Washington.

"The disaster of Shanghai Lockdown did not stop Li's elevation precisely because he followed Xi's order despite all criticism."

Li is viewed as one of Xi's favourites, having served as the leader's chief of staff while he was party boss of the affluent Zhejiang province between 2004 and 2007.

ZHAO LEJI

The 65-year-old former head of the party's top anti-corruption watchdog has remained on the Standing Committee, being promoted to No 3 in the party hierarchy.

The experienced administrator has been party secretary of two provinces and a Politburo member since 2012.

WANG HUNING

Xi's ideology tsar and existing Standing Committee member has been promoted to No 4 in the party lineup.

Dubbed the "brains behind the throne", the 67-year-old former university professor has devised ideologies for three current and former Chinese presidents, and is the architect of Xi's "China Dream" slogan, as well as the country's more assertive foreign policy.

In one of his most famous works, "America Against America", he argued for the US' inevitable downfall due to wayward cultural values like decadence and individualism.

CAI QI

Current Beijing party chief Cai Qi has been promoted to the Standing Committee and becomes the head of the General Secretariat, managing the day-to-day affairs of the party, according to a member list released by Xinhua.

The 66-year-old is seen as a close political ally of Xi due to his time working under him in the provinces of Zhejiang and Fujian.

He was sent to Beijing as deputy head of the General Office of the National Security Commission in 2014, before becoming Beijing party boss in 2017. He oversaw the successful Beijing Winter Olympics in February.

DING XUEXIANG

The low-key Politburo member and top aide of Xi has been promoted to the Standing Committee - an appointment widely expected by analysts for a member of the leader's inner circle.

The 60-year-old regularly accompanies Xi on official engagements, becoming a familiar face hovering in the background of state media reports, never far from his boss.

The former head of the Communist Party's General Office has never served as a provincial-level party boss or governor, making his appointment effectively a reward for his loyalty to Xi.

The pair became close while Ding served in the Shanghai party committee - Xi was Shanghai's top party boss in 2007 to 2008 - and he moved to Beijing to work as Xi's personal secretary in 2013.

"If Xi's two secretaries lead the (government) State Council ... it will no longer be parallel with the Party, but simply one (of) many institutions under the leadership of the Party, and of Xi," tweeted Zhang.

LI XI

The current Politburo member and party chief of economic powerhouse Guangdong province has been promoted to the Standing Committee, in an appointment widely anticipated by observers.

Li, 66, was confirmed as head of the powerful Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, the party's powerful anti-graft watchdog, in a list released by Xinhua.

Li is regarded as a confidant of Xi, having known him since the 1980s after working as secretary for a close ally of Xi's father, revolutionary leader Xi Zhongxun. He also built up a power base in Shaanxi, Xi's ancestral province.

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2022-10-23 05:40:00Z
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China's former leader Hu Jintao escorted out of party congress - Nikkei Asia

TOKYO -- In perhaps the most dramatic moment of the 2022 Chinese Communist Party national congress, former President Hu Jintao was led by the arm out of the Great Hall of the People on Saturday.

In the closing session of the seven-day gathering, the 79-year-old was urged to leave the session by a steward, as media cameras captured the scene.

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2022-10-22 17:38:00Z
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Commentary: Five things to watch as Malaysia prepares to head to the polls - CNA

HOBART, Australia: Let the race begin. In the upcoming Malaysia General Election (GE15), the best description for competitive seats is “free for all”.

The Election Commission on Thursday (Oct 20) announced three important dates: Nomination Day on Nov 5, early voting on Nov 15 and Polling Day on Nov 19. There were no real surprises - the general consensus was for Malaysia to go to the polls in mid-Nov and a two-week campaign period.

What can we expect over the next fortnight before nomination day? Here are the major items to watch out for.

MAD SCRAMBLE ON CANDIDATE ISSUES

First, we can expect a mad scramble to sort out the candidate issue. While the political parties would have settled on most seats, there are problematic seats in both the government and the opposition side. There will always be highly competitive constituencies that all parties want.

This is especially difficult for coalitions where more than one member of the coalition is staking a claim. The golden rule is that the incumbent and his party have first claim.

In the past, this was a manageable problem given that there were really only two big coalitions fighting Malaysian elections - Barisan Nasional (BN) and Pakatan Harapan (PH). This is no longer the case. There are currently about 40 to 50 highly competitive constituencies.

There are three credible coalition - BN, PH and Perikatan Nasional (PN) - plus a smaller coalition, Gerakan Tanah Air (GTA). GTA consists of Malay nationalists' parties led by Mahathir Mohamad, who at 97 is still in the game. On top of this, there are at least two new parties who will put up candidates in these competitive constituencies.

In the meantime, over the next fortnight, party leaders will be holding clandestine meetings with each other to sort out the candidate issue.

Nevertheless, I will not be surprised that on nomination day, there will be seats where members of the same coalition will actually field candidates against each other.

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2022-10-21 22:00:00Z
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Number of child deaths from acute kidney injury in Indonesia rises to 133 - CNA

JAKARTA: Indonesia's health minister said on Friday (Oct 21) that the number of children who had died from acute kidney injury (AKI) rose to 133 from the previously reported 99.

The deaths were among a total of 241 cases in 22 provinces, Budi Gunadi Sadikin said, adding that most patients were children under the age of five.

Budi on Thursday said some medicinal syrups available in Indonesia contained ethylene glycol and diethylene glycol, ingredients that have been linked to fatal AKI in children.

Indonesia has temporarily banned sales and prescription of all syrup-based medications and formed an expert team comprised of local health and paediatrics officials and World Health Organization (WHO) representatives to look into the AKI spike among children.

The country's food and drug agency has also named five locally-made products which contained excessive levels of ethylene glycol and has ordered the producers to pull them out of circulation and destroy all remaining batches.

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2022-10-21 11:48:00Z
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'Chaotic new low': UK's opposition calls for prompt elections after Liz Truss' resignation - CNA

A poll ahead of Truss’ resignation showed the Conservatives trailing Labour by about 36 per cent in ratings. YouGov surveys on the handling of security, unemployment, Brexit, and in particular, the economy, saw sharp falls in confidence for the Conservative Party over the past month.

THE KING COULD INTERVENE

The British monarch has the power to dissolve parliament and dismiss the government. However, the monarch usually stays out of politics and instances of intervention have been rare.

The dissolution of parliament is usually done at the request of the prime minister, typically at the end of each term.

However, if the situation worsens drastically – for instance, if the Conservatives are unable to pass budgets securing the economy and leading to a freefall of the British pound – King Charles would have the power to intervene, analyst Luke Mansillo told CNA’s Asia First.

“Elections could actually be initiated, not from the House of Commons, but from the palace,” said Mr Mansillo from the University of Sydney’s department of government and international relations.  

“If the economy is going into freefall because of the acts of government, that is one of the things that the king can intervene in parliament – to call for a general election for the people to resolve it,” he added.

It is also possible that the king could invite a person of his choice to form a government – someone who could win a vote of confidence, according to the BBC.

CONSERVATIVES’ IMMEDIATE PLANS

Conservative Party members will select a new party leader within its ranks next week, who will also become Britain’s next prime minister.

To run for leadership, each candidate will require the backing of at least 100 lawmakers. The party currently has 357 MPs in the House of Commons.

Although experts said that factions within the party will make finding a unity candidate difficult, several clear frontrunners have emerged.

“For now it looks like it will be a straight vote between Rishi Sunak and Penny Mordaunt,” analyst Fabrizio Farina told CNA938 on Friday morning.

Sunak is a former Chancellor of the Exchequer who lost to Truss in the race for the Conservative leadership last month, while Mordaunt is a former defence and trade minister.

“Of the two, Sunak is the most likely to win. He has good support among the Conservative Party, has good economic credibility, and brings a much needed stability to markets,” said Mr Farina, who is a Europe analyst at risk intelligence company Verisk Maplecroft.

Former prime minister Boris Johnson is also expected to make a comeback.

Although he has strong backing from the right wing groups within the party, Mr Farina said that it will be difficult for Mr Johnson to round up enough support as his image has been significantly tarnished due to corruption allegations.

Britain's new prime minister will face the immediate tasks of soothing market nerves and managing the cost of living.

The new Conservative leader would want to gain back some confidence for the party before they face the next general election, due to take place in January 2025, analysts said.

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2022-10-21 10:06:00Z
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The big reveal: Xi set to introduce China's next standing committee - CNA

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.

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2022-10-21 01:36:00Z
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