File Photo: On October 23, 2022, Wang Huning, a member of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Standing Committee, attended a press conference at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing alongside other newly appointed members of the CCP Politburo Standing Committee and both domestic and international journalists. (Photo by Kevin Frayer/Getty Images)
[People News] On July 3, among the seven members of the Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China, only Xi Jinping was absent from a series of similar activities recently published in state media by the other six members. Specifically, Premier Li Qiang, Chairman of the National People's Congress Zhao Leji, Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference Wang Huning, and Secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection Li Xi each convened party group meetings at their respective institutions to study Xi's speech at the 105th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party and his thoughts on party building. Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang participated in the group led by Li Qiang, while Cai Qi called for the study of these topics at a commendation conference.
It is clear that when discussing the content of Xi's speech and the expressions and praises of his thoughts on party building, these officials are largely in agreement, all emphasizing 'the leadership of the party.' This indicates that there has been a pre-established consensus on the phrasing within the party. In other words, regarding the articulation of these two aspects, the senior leadership of the Communist Party has reached a consensus, leaving little room for individual interpretation.
In comparison to previous study sessions, Li Qiang has removed the phrase 'to effectively unify thoughts and actions with the spirit of Xi Jinping's important speeches and... deployments,' and instead has focused more on 'being a good executor, action-oriented, and practical in implementing the decisions and deployments of the Party Central Committee. We must resolutely carry out what the Party Central Committee has decided.'
Zhao Leji's remarks were conventional and did not mention the 'Party Central Committee', but he did highlight the importance of understanding the essence of the 'Fourteen Persistences', which includes 'upholding the centralized and unified leadership of the Party Central Committee'. Interestingly, Zhao also incorporated 'the establishment and practice of a correct view of political achievements through study and education' into this learning session, seemingly as a way to make up for his previous lack of timely engagement with Xi's proposals from a few months ago.
However, the apparent nonchalance behind the surface praise actually reflects Zhao Leji's true thoughts and indicates that there have been developments within the Communist Party that remain unknown to the outside world. It is worth noting that as a high-ranking official skilled in navigating political currents, Zhao has historically been prompt in learning about Xi's speeches and ideologies.
The most notable figure is Wang Huning. On July 3, the theoretical learning center group of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, where Wang Huning serves, held its third collective study session to cover the aforementioned topics. However, as early as June 17, shortly after the Communist Party's construction meeting was convened, the National Committee, under Wang Huning's leadership, had already engaged in studying Xi's thoughts on Party building.
It remains uncertain whether there is fatigue with such public displays, but in this news report, Wang Huning and several senior officials from the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) refrained from making any loyalty statements beyond their scripted lines. In contrast, during a study session held over two weeks ago, they discussed the 'Fourteen Upholds', referred to '2442', and stressed the importance of 'always maintaining a high degree of consistency in thought, politics, and action with the Party Central Committee led by Comrade Xi Jinping', as well as the necessity of 'upholding the Party's overall leadership and the centralized and unified leadership of the Party Central Committee', among other points. This public display, however, lacked any such references.
Perhaps Wang Huning feels some internal discontent. He has adhered to the Party's regulations, consistently studying Xi's so-called correct views on achievements and Party-building ideology, while other Standing Committee members have seemingly chosen to ignore them. What justifies this disparity? Nevertheless, under the overarching requirement for internal consensus that everyone must follow, Wang Huning can only suppress his feelings and revisit the worthless ideas he knows to be ineffective. Does Wang Huning's demeanor hint at some intriguing insights?
As for Cai Qi, he is undoubtedly the most sycophantic among the group, yet he has not reached the heights of previous performances. Regarding Li Xi, who has been rumored to be in a precarious position, he started by mentioning 'establishing' and 'maintaining', followed by references to the 'Fourteen Upholds' and the need to 'always maintain a high degree of consistency in thought, politics, and action with the Party Central Committee led by Xi Jinping', which is essentially standard protocol.
The recent unified actions of the Standing Committee members may seem, at first glance, to reflect loyalty to Xi Jinping, indicating that he still wields considerable power. However, I believe that the transition from previous discord among the Standing Committee to their current alignment, along with Xi's references to 'the centralized and unified leadership of the Party Central Committee' in both his party-building initiatives and his July 1 speech, as well as the absence of a deliberate focus on Xi in the official media coverage of the two major events on July 1, all suggest that after months of power struggles, Zhongnanhai has reached a consensus to continue implementing the collective leadership system established by the Fourth Plenary Session of the Communist Party of China.
(First published by People News)△
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