STRENGTHENING OF “POWER VERTICAL”: ALLOCATION AND PROMOTION OF REGIONAL LEADERS IN MODERN CHINA

Abstract

The article is dedicated to the one of the most important trends in current political process in China in period between 18th and 19th Communist party of China national congresses (2012–2017). The trend is characterized with the desire of current national leader Xi Jinping to provide support of regions by appointment of loyal regional leaders. That can be explained by the situation before 2012 when most of regional leaders were potentially opposite to Xi Jinping and his “faction”. It led to resistance to Xi’s policy in social and economic spheres and made Xi’s measures not so effective. As result, to strengthen “power vertical” (term referred to Russia initially but fit to China’s realities as well) current Xi Jinping initiated large-scale anti-graft campaign and change of regional leadership using practice of officials rotation. This process began after 2012 but culminated in 2015–17. Finally, before 19th CPC National Congress in October, 2017, the task has been fulfilled. Regional leadership in China now includes new leaders representing a row of new “factions” and “cliques” united by their loyalty to Xi Jinping. It lets Xi hope for more effective realization of his political course during next five years, as well as strengthening of his personal power at the expense of “collective leadership” practice. The article uses wide range of original sources representing official documents of Communist party of China Central Committee and regional governments, statistical and biography materials. It is first publication on the topic of regional leadership change under rule of Xi Jinping in Russian academic science.