Science and Technology Conference Highlights Xi's Commitment to Collective Leadership

The persecution has led to a backlash, resulting in a loss of power, and those in high positions are merely playing supporting roles. (Illustration by People News)

[People News] On July 8, the National Science and Technology Awards Conference of the Communist Party of China, the 22nd Academy Meeting of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the 18th Academy Meeting of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, and the 11th National Congress of the China Association for Science and Technology were convened at the Great Hall of the People. Xi Jinping attended alongside nearly all members of the Standing Committee and the Politburo. Xi delivered a speech, Li Qiang presided over the event, and Ding Xuexiang announced the award decisions.

The decision to combine these four conferences appears to have begun in June 2024, as previous award ceremonies were held separately. It remains unclear whether this change is due to financial constraints or an effort to reduce the number of meetings, but for Xi, merging the two conferences he previously attended means one less opportunity for public admonishment.

This year, the official media outlet Xinhua distributed a total of fourteen images from the conference. The first image features Xi delivering his speech, the second shows all members of the Politburo Standing Committee and some Politburo members standing and singing, while the third to fifth images capture Xi posing with the award winners. The sixth to eighth images depict Xi and other Standing Committee members presenting certificates to the award winners, with Xi prominently featured. The ninth to twelfth images show the seven Standing Committee members with some award winners. The thirteenth image is another close-up of Xi speaking, and the fourteenth image includes Xi, Li Qiang, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang, and others posing for a photo with the award representatives.

In a similar meeting held in 2024, Xinhua News Agency's report featured a total of fourteen images from the conference. The first image is identical to the second, while the third through seventh images depict Xi Jinping posing with the award winners. The eighth and ninth images show Xi and other Standing Committee members presenting certificates to the award winners, with a clear emphasis on Xi. The tenth image captures Xi waving as he enters before taking a photo with the award winners. The eleventh to thirteenth images show Xi shaking hands with the award representatives. The final image includes Xi, Li Qiang, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang, and others posing with the award representatives.

In the official media of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), there are strict regulations governing the speeches and images of Xi and other senior officials. Any alterations reflect shifts in the power dynamics within the CCP. Notably, compared to the news from two years ago, Xinhua's report reveals the following significant changes: 1. The number of photos featuring Xi alone with the award winners has decreased, while the number of photos with the seven Standing Committee members and the award winners has increased by four. 2. The images of Xi waving as he enters and shaking hands with the representatives have been omitted.

These changes further confirm that Xi's power is limited, and the CCP's top leadership has reached a consensus on the mechanism of 'centralized and unified leadership.'

Moreover, it is worth noting that, aside from the discrepancies in the distributed photos, there is another significant difference between the two news reports. In this year's report, Xi's headshot appears below the text summarizing the meeting and introducing Li Qiang's chairmanship, along with the attendance of Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, and Li Xi, with Ding Xuexiang reading the award decision. In 2024, Xi's headshot is positioned above this text.

Such subtle changes serve as a window into observing the shifts in the CCP's high-level dynamics.

(First published by People News) △