The Chinese Communist Party Has Laid the Groundwork for Xi Jinping's Resignation

Image: During the March 2024 Two Sessions, Xi Jinping was photographed by foreign media in the Great Hall of the People with an expression of extreme pain while drinking tea. (Illustration by Qing Yu/People News)

[People News] Rumours regarding Xi Jinping's impending resignation have been widely circulated on the internet, both within and outside Hainan. Recently, the Chinese Communist Party announced the establishment of a new structure—the Central Committee's Decision-Making and Coordination Institution. This move is perceived by observers as a preparatory step for Xi Jinping's exit.

On June 30, the Political Bureau of the Central Committee convened a meeting, chaired by Xi Jinping, which focused solely on one political issue: the establishment of the new institution—the Central Committee's Decision-Making and Coordination Institution—and the introduction of the 'Regulations on the Work of the Central Committee's Decision-Making and Coordination Institution.'

Reports indicate that the establishment of this institution is an important institutional arrangement to enhance the centralised and unified leadership of the Party Central Committee over significant work and to facilitate the implementation of major tasks.'

The work regulations outline the establishment, responsibilities, and operations of the Central Decision-Making and Coordination Institution, stating that its primary function is 'to design the top-level framework for major initiatives, coordinate comprehensively, advance collectively, and supervise the implementation of functions.'

Clearly, these work regulations serve as a confirmation from the CCP authorities to the outside world regarding the reality of stripping Xi Jinping of his 'one supreme' status and decision-making authority as the highest leader. They have also set the stage for Xi Jinping's resignation while ensuring a smooth power transition by allowing senior party members to participate in the Political Bureau's decision-making as legitimate 'decision-makers.' This aligns with the CCP's concept of 'the centralised and unified leadership of the Party Central Committee.'

Commentator Su Xiaohe revealed that approximately 12 hours after the meeting concluded, he received insider information from Beijing indicating that the newly established 'Central Advisory Committee' mandates that major decisions made by Xi Jinping must be reported to the elders, or he risks being forced to resign early. Furthermore, right after the meeting, Xi Jinping sent a significant self-criticism letter to several senior figures, including Hu Jintao, Wen Jiabao, and Zeng Qinghong. Su Xiaohe mockingly referred to this as 'the first self-criticism edict of the local Communist Party since 1949.'

Su Xiaohe remarked that the Communist Party is a rogue organisation that refuses to admit its mistakes, and Xi Jinping is similarly unwilling to acknowledge any errors. Consequently, this self-criticism letter was intentionally crafted in classical Chinese by Wang Huning to create an impression, aiming to render it incomprehensible to the elders. He also noted that he himself struggled to understand the content of this so-called classical Chinese self-criticism letter.

In addition, commentator Zhou Xiaohui published an article in The Epoch Times, highlighting that the introduction of the working regulations for the central decision-making coordination body serves to undermine the authority of Communist Party leader Xi Jinping, further confirming that Xi has indeed lost power. 'In summary, the role of the members of the central decision-making coordination body during extraordinary times is to determine the direction of significant issues, coordinate and supervise implementation, but they will not overstep their authority.'

Zhou Xiaohui noted that since the news of Xi Jinping's stroke emerged from the Third Plenary Session of the Communist Party of China in July last year, reports about his loss of military and party authority have been persistent. Over the past year, the frequency with which the Communist Party's official media has communicated about the 'centralised and unified leadership of the Party Central Committee' has been notably high. An official media commentary from December last year shifted from stating 'Xi Jinping at the helm' to 'the Central Committee at the helm.' This unusual behaviour from Xi and the official media in recent months indicates that significant events have transpired within the upper ranks of the Communist Party, and there have been rumours suggesting that Xi is seriously ill, has lost considerable power, and that the Party elders are taking control. With the establishment of such a coordinating body, retired leaders like Wen Jiabao can now participate in Politburo meetings and decision-making as 'decision-makers' with legitimate authority, thereby achieving what they refer to as 'the centralised and unified leadership of the Party Central Committee.' However, the Communist Party elders have also clearly defined their roles, stating that they must 'accurately grasp the positioning of responsibilities,' 'focus on discussing major issues, addressing major issues, and managing major issues, while ensuring coordination without replacement and being in place without overstepping.' 

Jiang Feng, the host of Jiang Feng's casual talk, believes that the purpose of this deliberative coordinating body is to undermine Xi Jinping's authority. The power platform that Xi previously used to vote on policies and suppress dissent is being systematically dismantled. The anti-Xi faction has gained a structured platform for operational status within the Party, leading to a temporary collective takeover. Jiang Feng argues that this constitutes a power grab, and ironically, all of this is being announced by Xi Jinping himself during meetings.

This new version of the coordination mechanism appears to be a carefully constructed pathway by the Chinese Communist Party authorities for Xi Jinping's potential resignation. The CCP has even made this significant development public, suggesting that the announcement of Xi Jinping stepping down may be imminent.