Xi Jinping faction
Xi Jinping faction 习近平派系 | |
|---|---|
| Leader | Xi Jinping |
| Founded | 2007 |
| Headquarters | Beijing and Hangzhou |
| Ideology | Socialism with Chinese characteristics |
| Xi Jinping faction | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Simplified Chinese | 习近平派系 | ||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 習近平派系 | ||||||
| |||||||
| Xi Clan | |||||||
| Chinese | 習家軍 | ||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 习家军 | ||||||
| |||||||
| New Zhijiang Army | |||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 之江新军 | ||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 之江新軍 | ||||||
| |||||||
The Xi Jinping faction,[1] also referred to as the Xi Clan,[2] is a term used by political analysts to describe a network of officials within the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) closely associated with General Secretary Xi Jinping.
The faction encompasses officials who advanced their political careers under Xi's patronage during his earlier leadership tenures in various provinces. Those who served under Xi during his time as Party Secretary of Zhejiang (2002–2007) are often referred to as the New Zhijiang Army, while those with prior affiliations to Xi from his period in Fujian are collectively known as the Fujian clique. In addition, there are other groups of officials, including those that worked in Shaanxi (Xi's home province), those affiliated with Xi during his tenure in Shanghai (2007), or those hailing from a military-industrial complex background.
Officials affiliated with Xi have rapidly gained dominance during his leadership, leading the Xi's faction to be the dominant one. Of the 25 members of the 19th Politburo, 11 had previously worked with Xi, or were fellow townsmen or classmates.[3] Nearly all members of the 20th Politburo are considered to be a part of the Xi Jinping faction.[4]
New Zhijiang Army
[edit]The New Zhijiang Army refers to people who were closely associated with Xi during his tenure in Zhejiang and identify with his political views, and who have since then taken on prominent political posts at the provincial level or in central party and state organs. The term was first widely used by Ma Haoliang (马浩亮), editor at Hong Kong-based newspaper Ta Kung Pao, in the article "New Zhijiang Army of Chinese Politics". The term Zhijiang refers to the Qiantang River, which runs through the province, but is often used as a poetic reference for the greater Zhejiang region. The term was initially used as title to Xi Jinping's book Zhijiang Xinyu, a book compiling the political philosophies of Xi Jinping during his five-year term as party chief of Zhejiang, published in 2007.[5]
| Name | Born | Office held in Zhejiang during Xi's term | Office held at present |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cai Qi 蔡奇 |
December 1955 | Party Secretary of Quzhou, Party Secretary of Taizhou | First-ranked Secretary of the CCP Secretariat |
| Huang Kunming 黄坤明 |
November 1956 | Mayor of Huzhou Party Secretary of Jiaxing |
Party Secretary of Guangdong |
| Chen Derong 陈德荣 |
March 1961 | Mayor of Jiaxing | Chief executive of China Baowu Steel Group |
| Bayanqolu 巴音朝鲁 |
October 1955 | Party Secretary of Ningbo | |
| Lou Yangsheng 楼阳生 |
October 1959 | Party Secretary of Lishui | |
| Xia Baolong 夏宝龙 |
December 1952 | Deputy Party Secretary of Zhejiang | Director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office |
| Li Qiang 李强 |
July 1959 | Secretary-General of Zhejiang Party Committee | Premier of China |
| Chen Min'er 陈敏尔 |
September 1960 | Head of Zhejiang provincial party Propaganda Department | Party Secretary of Tianjin |
| Ying Yong 应勇 |
November 1957 | Director of Supervision Department, Zhejiang President of Zhejiang High Court Deputy Secretary of Zhejiang Discipline Inspection Commission |
Procurator-General of the Supreme People's Procuratorate |
| Zhong Shaojun 钟绍军 |
1968 | Deputy Head of the Organization Department of Zhejiang Party Committee | |
| Li Xi 李希 |
1956 | Secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection | |
| Chen Xi 陈希 |
September 1953 | President of the Central Party School | |
| He Lifeng 何立峰 |
February 1955 | Vice Premier of China | |
| Shu Guozeng 舒国增 |
1956 | ||
| Chen Yixin
陈一新 |
September 1959 | Minister of State Security |
Fujian clique
[edit]The Fujian clique refers to a group of Chinese politicians closely allied with Xi, who developed this network of trusted allies during his time in Fujian from 1985 to 2002,[6] and has appointed them to influential roles and positions within Chinese politics since he became leader of China,[7] particularly within the military and police.[8] The Fujian clique is one of the two most important political groupings in the Xi administration alongside the New Zhijiang Army.[9]
- Wang Xiaohong, State Councilor and Minister of Public Security,[9][10][11]
- Deng Weiping, member of the Party Committee of the Ministry of Public Security,[10]
- He Weidong, Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission (2022–2025),[7][12][13]
- Zhuang Rongwen, Director of the Cyberspace Administration of China,[14]
- He Lifeng, Vice Premier of the People's Republic of China,[9]
- Cai Qi, First Secretary of the Secretariat of the Chinese Communist Party,[9][15]
- Miao Hua, Director of the Political Work Department of the Central Military Commission (2017–2025)[16]
- Zhao Keshi, Director of the Logistic Support Department of the Central Military Commission (2012–2017)[17]
- Cai Yingting, Commander of Nanjing Military Region (2012–2016)[17]
- Huang Kunming, Communist Party Secretary of Guangdong[18]
Others
[edit]Other politicians have been named by Chinese-language media as associates of Xi Jinping. They have known or worked under him as a result of their regional tenures in Shaanxi province (Xi's "home province"), the southeast (Zhejiang and Fujian provinces), or through Tsinghua University, where Xi spent time in his youth. Those named include Wang Qishan, Li Zhanshu, Liu He, Chen Xi, He Yiting, Wang Xiaohong, Li Shulei, and Huang Xingguo (since disgraced). In the military, Liu Yuan, Zhang Youxia, and Liu Yazhou have been named as some of Xi's top associates.[19]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ↑ "Members of the Xi Jinping Clique Revealed". The Jamestown Foundation. Retrieved 13 August 2022.
- ↑ Yang, Guang. ""習近平的山頭主義用人路線 Xi Jinping de shantou zhuyi yongren luxian (The cliquish cadre promotion line of Xi Jinping)"". Retrieved 22 September 2017.
- ↑ "政治局委員當中11人曾與習近平共事或是同鄉及同學" [Eleven members of the Politburo have worked with Xi Jinping or are from the same hometown or were classmates with him.]. RTHK. 25 October 2017. Archived from the original on 3 April 2018. Retrieved 14 June 2026.
- ↑ Pollard, Martin (26 October 2022). "China's Xi deals knockout blow to once-powerful Youth League faction". Reuters. Archived from the original on 24 May 2023. Retrieved 24 May 2023.
- ↑ Ma, Haoliang (29 December 2014). "中国政坛的"之江新军"". Ta Kung Po via Mingjing. Archived from the original on 12 January 2015. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
- ↑ White, Edward (19 May 2022). "China's chaotic regulatory crackdown reflects splits among policymakers". Financial Times. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
- 1 2 Tajima, Yukio. "Xi leans on old friends to enforce party discipline in China's military". Nikkei Asia. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
- ↑ Nakazawa, Katsuji. "Analysis: Xi dispatches Fujian aides to polish up 'guns and swords'". Nikkei Asia. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
- 1 2 3 4 White, Edward (25 January 2023). "China's palace politics: Xi Jinping loyalists compete for power". Financial Times. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
- 1 2 Zhiyue, Bo. "The Rise of a Fujian Clique in Chinese Politics". thediplomat.com. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
- ↑ Wong, Chun Han (29 July 2022). "China's Xi Promotes Team of Allies to Influential Posts, Fortifying His Power". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
- ↑ Bradsher, Keith (27 March 2023). "Meet the Xi Jinping Loyalist Now Overseeing China's Economy". The New York Times. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
- ↑ Zhai, Keith; Wong, Chun Han. "China Appoints Two Vice Chairmen to Central Military Commission". WSJ. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
- ↑ Nuttall, Chris (19 May 2022). "The hope for China's tech 'uninvestables'". Financial Times. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
- ↑ Zhai, Keith; Wong, Chun Han (23 October 2022). "China's Xi Claims Third Term as Communist Party Leader". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
- ↑ Morris, Lyle J. (12 November 2022). "What China's military leadership line-up says about Xi's plans for Taiwan". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
- 1 2 Gan, Nectar (6 September 2015). "Chinese leader Xi Jinping's trusted Fujian protégés are ones to watch in next party congress, say analysts". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
- ↑ Kong, Andy Lin in Hong; Seoul, Edward White in; Clark, Dan; Nevitt, Caroline; London, Sam Joiner in (17 October 2022). "All the Emperor's men: How Xi Jinping became China's unrivalled leader". Financial Times. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
- ↑ "习近平和中国军方的故事" [The story of Xi Jinping and the Chinese military]. Deutsche Welle. 25 December 2013. Retrieved 14 June 2026.
