Chen, the Next Leader of China

Mainichi Shimbun reported on Monday that the Communist Party Secretary of Chongqing, Chen Min’er, was informally appointed to the successor of Chinese President, Xi Jinping, after Xi’s term would be expired five years later. Chen, affiliated to the Sixth Generation in　Communist Party of China, has won a firm confidence of Xi and been promoted on a elite course to the leader. It is obvious that Xi is paving a way to his long governance even after his resignation.

Chen worked as the Director of Public Affairs of Communist Party in Zhejiang Province, under the leadership of then Secretary Xi, from 2002 to 2007. In 2012, Chen moved to Guizhou Province with elevation to a member of Central Committee of CPC. After Secretary of the party in Chongqing, Sun Zhengcai, was disgraced by suspect of serious violation of party discipline last month, Chen was promoted to the successor of Sun, the post which was ordinarily a member of Politburo of the party central. Mainichi reported, based on information of multiple sources, that Chen would be promoted to a member of Standing Committee of Politburo of CPC in 19^th Party Congress in this fall.

Fast promotion of Chen can be paralleled with that of Xi. Xi was appointed to Secretary of the party in Shanghai in 2006 after major money scandal there. In 2007, Xi was promoted to a member of Standing Committee of Politburo, which was two-level stepping up toward the leader’s position. Mainichi indicated that Xi had great confidence in Chen, when Chen worked as an editor for Xi’s column articles in a regional newspaper. The article warned internal corruption of the party and recommended simple and thrifty way of life.

In coming Party Congress, it is expected that CPC will include an expression of “important thought for governing the nation by Comrade Xi Jinping” in revised Code of the Party. It can be upgraded to Xism in his resignation five years later, resembling thought of Mao Zedong called Maoism. If Chen is promoted to a member of Politburo, his main job will be completing theoretical construction of Xism.

It is reported that Secretary of Communist Party in Guangdong Province and a member of Politburo, Hu Chunhua, is ranked below Chen in the hierarchy of the party. While he has been recognized as the top runner for the successor of Xi, Hu was promoted with firm confidence of former President Hu Jintao. It is likely that Hu Chunhua will be stepping up from a member of Politburo to Standing Committee of Politburo in the Party Congress, indicating the post of Prime Minister of China in the future. Even after the promotion of next generation, centralized power of Xi will be maintained.