{"id":11147,"date":"2022-10-24T12:30:54","date_gmt":"2022-10-24T12:30:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/focus.cbbc.org\/?p=11147"},"modified":"2025-04-23T09:36:12","modified_gmt":"2025-04-23T09:36:12","slug":"who-is-on-chinas-new-politburo-standing-committee","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/focus.cbbc.org\/who-is-on-chinas-new-politburo-standing-committee\/","title":{"rendered":"Who is on China’s new Politburo Standing Committee?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Understanding China’s top political body is key to understanding how decisions and policies get made. With a new Politburo Standing
\nCommittee just elected during the 20th<\/sup> Party Congress, these are the seven men whose names you should know<\/h2>\n

The Politburo Standing Committee, formally known as the Standing Committee of the Central Political Bureau of the Chinese Communist Party, is China\u2019s most powerful decision-making body and currently made up of seven top political leaders (historically, membership has varied from five to a high of 11 people in the reshuffled 8th<\/sup> PSC in 1966).<\/p>\n

The Committee is selected every five years by the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, as well as by incumbent members of the Politburo and the Standing Committee. All members hold at least one high-level Party position. The current Politburo Standing Committee (the 20th<\/sup> of its kind) was elected by the 20th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party on 23 October 2022.<\/p>\n

Below is the current line-up of the 20th<\/sup> Politburo Standing Committee (changes from the previous line up are marked \u2018new\u2019):<\/p>\n

\"launchpad<\/a><\/p>\n

Xi Jinping<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Xi Jinping remains as the number one ranking member of the committee. As General Secretary, he is the \u201ccore leader\u201d of the Party and also commander-in-chief of the Chinese military as Chairman of the CCP and PRC Central Military Commissions. Xi also holds the title of President of the People\u2019s Republic of China.<\/p>\n

Born in Beijing, Xi was governor of Fujian and Zhejiang before being named Hu Jintao\u2019s successor in 2008. His political theory, \u201cXi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era,\u201d was written into the Party constitution by the 19th CCCPC.<\/p>\n

Li Qiang (new)<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Li Qiang is Party Secretary of Shanghai and a close personal ally of Xi (he was Xi\u2019s chief of staff when he was governor of Zhejiang). Many expect him to replace Li Keqiang when he steps down from the premiership during the National People\u2019s Congress in March 2023.<\/p>\n

Li Qiang was in charge of Shanghai during the city\u2019s widespread Covid lockdowns<\/a> in early 2022, which some commentators have suggested is a sign of tacit approval of his willingness to run with such strict lockdowns (and, potentially, an indication that such Covid policies will continue).<\/p>\n