Chinese Communist Party leaders meet behind closed doors
Thursday, 18 October 2007
BEIJING, OCT 17 (AP): China's ruling Communist Party gave the media a rare glimpse of two rising political stars, providing them a platform on which to show off their leadership qualities.
The public appearances by Li Keqiang and Xi Jinping on the sidelines of a major party congress were likely no coincidence, given the secretive party's penchant for carefully stage-managed public events.
It came as senior party members held closed-door discussions on appointments to the Politburo Standing Committee, the inner sanctum of power.
While deliberations went on, the 52-year-old Li, party head of the industrial province of Liaoning, and the 54-year-old Xi, party chief in the commercial heart of Shanghai, met separately with rank-and-file congress members, with foreign and state-run Chinese media on hand.
The brief encounters were telling, if not revealing. The party congress, held once every five years, sets broad policy goals and apportions senior leadership posts. At the top of this congress's agenda is the promotion of several officials to replace 64-year-old President Hu Jintao and other leaders when they step down five years from now.
Li and Xi are said to be leading contenders to replace Hu. Li, an associate of Hu's since the two worked together in the Communist Youth League 25 years ago, is said to be Hu's favourite but is facing resistance from other powerful party leaders.
The public appearances by Li Keqiang and Xi Jinping on the sidelines of a major party congress were likely no coincidence, given the secretive party's penchant for carefully stage-managed public events.
It came as senior party members held closed-door discussions on appointments to the Politburo Standing Committee, the inner sanctum of power.
While deliberations went on, the 52-year-old Li, party head of the industrial province of Liaoning, and the 54-year-old Xi, party chief in the commercial heart of Shanghai, met separately with rank-and-file congress members, with foreign and state-run Chinese media on hand.
The brief encounters were telling, if not revealing. The party congress, held once every five years, sets broad policy goals and apportions senior leadership posts. At the top of this congress's agenda is the promotion of several officials to replace 64-year-old President Hu Jintao and other leaders when they step down five years from now.
Li and Xi are said to be leading contenders to replace Hu. Li, an associate of Hu's since the two worked together in the Communist Youth League 25 years ago, is said to be Hu's favourite but is facing resistance from other powerful party leaders.