Special to WorldTribune.com Parris H. Chang In the wake of Xi Jinping’s leadership ascendancy since the 18th Congress of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in 2012, Beijing’s aggressive posture in the Asia-Pacific region has become clearly discernible. China’s steady thrust into the South China Sea and sudden establishment of an air defense identification zone near […]
Special to WorldTribune.com By Willy Lam, East-Asia-Intel.com Beijing has announced the line-up of a super-agency charged with overseeing the directions of economic reform. President Xi Jinping, who is already in charge of party and foreign affairs in addition the army and the police, has been appointed the Head of the Chinese Communist Party’s Leading Group […]
Special to WorldTribune.com By Willy Lam, East-Asia-Intel.com President Xi Jinping is emerging as China’s undisputed strongman even as whatever little that has remained of the institutional reforms championed by late leader Deng Xiaoping has become increasingly attenuated. Having been a principal victim of the Cultural Revolution (1966-76) spearheaded by dictator Mao Zedong, Deng quickly put […]
Special to WorldTribune.com By Willy Lam, East-Asia-Intel.com The Beijing propaganda machinery has gone into overdrive to advertise the upcoming plenary session of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Central Committee, which is scheduled to endorse an economic-reform blueprint. Yu Zhengsheng, the No. 4-ranked member of the all-powerful Politburo Standing Committee (PBSC), has asserted that “the scale […]
Special to WorldTribune.com By Willy Lam, East-Asia-Intel.com Chinese Communist Party (CCP) General Secretary Xi Jinping has concentrated more powers at the top of the party so as to buttress his ability to rule China as a strongman. In a strategic move, Xi, whose other titles include state president and commander-in-chief, has beefed up the organization […]
Special to WorldTribune.com By Willy Lam, East-Asia-Intel.com The four-month-old Xi Jinping administration is frank about the future of reform, particularly political liberalization: do not expect anything. This was revealed by the Government Work Report read out on March 5 by Premier Wen Jiabao, who is due to retire when the on-going National People’s Congress (NPC) […]
Special to WorldTribune.com By Willy Lam, East-Asia-Intel.com Owing to a quirk in the Chinese political calendar, there is a gap of at least four months between the selection of the party leaders and that of government leaders. Thus while Li Keqiang was named the second most senior member of the seven-man Chinese Communist Party (CCP) […]
Special to WorldTribune.com By Willy Lam, East-Asia-Intel.com The Beijing leadership is set to wrap up the case of former Politburo member and Chongqing Party Secretary Bo Xilai before the end of February. Princeling Bo, 63, the son of revered Party elder Bo Yibo, has been accused of crimes including corruption, abuse of power, an “immoral […]
Special to WorldTribune.com By Willy Lam, East-Asia-Intel.com Xi Jinping, newly anointed general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), has lost no time laying down what will likely be a leitmotif of his 10-year tenure: promoting “constitutional Socialism with Chinese characteristics.” This so-called “Back to the [Chinese] Constitution” movement will be kicked off after fellow […]
Special to WorldTribune.com By Willy Lam, East-Asia-Intel.com While Hu Jintao’s tenure as general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) won’t end until the 18th Party Congress in October, he has already delivered a tough farewell speech to the Party faithful. The occasion was a special study session of Party dogma for top Party, government […]