Exclusive | Xi Jinping is relying more on his lieutenants to forge ties with China’s political elites
- President has smaller share of direct links with Central Committee members than he did five years ago, Post analysis finds
- One reason is people who are known to him reaching or passing the official retirement age, according to a Peking University researcher
The findings are based on an iterative databank the Post has compiled since the 20th party congress last year.
The databank includes a relationship network to show how each of the seven top political leaders is connected to the party’s 20th Central Committee – the pool from which they were drawn. It also shows where they crossed paths based on their official work history.
Collectively, the seven members of the Politburo Standing Committee, including Xi, have more links with the 376 full and alternate members of the decision-making Central Committee than previously – a clear indicator of the concentration of power within the party.
But direct associations with Xi – widely regarded as the most powerful Chinese leader in decades – have dropped in percentage terms from five years ago.
