Xi trumps all

Cartoon by Rebel Pepper
Cartoon by Rebel Pepper (Photo: RFA)

Chinese Communist Party General Secretary Xi Jinping’s anointment to a third term as China’s paramount leader came exactly as forecast. But he raised eyebrows by purging the Politburo Standing Committee of senior officials associated with economic reform and moderate foreign policies, replacing them with hard-liners and Xi loyalists. Most striking was the removal of all officials associated with the party’s China Youth League faction. The once powerful league was the base of Xi's predecessor Hu Jintao and of vice premier Hu Chunhua, who had been seen as a future top leader.