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A few thoughts on China’s vice president Wang Qishan. His long-time protege Dong Hong has been placed under an internal probe, CCDI announced a week ago, raising speculations of implications to Wang.
Wang regularly attends ceremonial events, including the commemoration of the end of WW II Sep 3, but did not attend an impt seminar later that day, where Xi said he won’t allow any attempt to separate the CCP from its ppl, a week after PD rebuked Pompeo’s Nixon Library speech.
Wang was also absent from many key meetings that discussed actual policies. Wang, remembered for his role fighting SARS in 2003, missed a key meeting on the pandemic in Feb, when Xi virtually addressed 170,000 officials. Even GT’s Hu Xijin was in it.
In 2018, Wang, a fan of TV series House of Cards, knocked on the podium after being sworn in at the great hall of the people’s. Much attention then was around Xi’s term limit being abolished, but Wang could also serve for life after the 2018 constitution amendment.
Yet in the past year, Wang seems desperate to prove privately or publicly he has no ambition. Wang even told foreign secretary of Mexico last year that he’s ageing and his main job now is to assist Xi with “ceremonial diplomacy”.
The probe of Dong Hong is a heavy blow to Wang, but not fatal. Yet Wang aldy saw enuf bad news this yr. Ren Zhiqiang was jailed on corruption charges. Jiang Chaoliang, who helped Wang with handling the 1990s financial crisis, lost his Hubei party boss job after covid.
It’s not uncommon to round up aides of a senior official but leave the central figure intact. Fmr vp Li Yuanchao saw a few of his closest aides arrested during Xi’s first term. Li then became the only Politburo under 68 to completely retire in 2017, with no role in NPC or CPPCC.
CCTV showed a smiling Li Yuanchao at the Sep 30 state gala, alongside with other retired leaders. Li became VP in 2013, amid talks then he’s the 8th powerful person after the seven-men PBSC. It turned out Xi had other ideas abt the role of VP.
