China’s man for all seasons Wang Yang stops short of premiership glory
- Wang, political advisory chief and former vice-premier, was once a top contender to succeed Li Keqiang as China’s No 2 leader
- Exclusion from Central Committee line-up means his days on the political stage will end before he reaches retirement age
Once considered a front runner for the role of China’s premier, Wang Yang – head of the country’s top political advisory body – is set for full retirement instead next March.
His name was notably absent from the newly released list of top Communist Party leaders who will steer the country for the next five years.
Wang, 67, chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, was the fourth ranking official on the current Politburo Standing Committee, the party’s top decision-making body, as well as a former vice-premier.
The Central Committee, which now seats 205 full members and 171 alternate members, groups the most powerful party leaders. Exclusion from it means certain exclusion from the next 25-member Politburo, China’s highest policymaking body, the line-up for which will be made public on Sunday.
This means Wang will step down alongside fellow 19th Politburo Standing Committee members Li Keqiang, Li Zhanshu, 72, and Han Zheng, 68, and enter full retirement – despite still being a year short of the customary retirement age.
