An amazing art of survival in Xi’s era

YOU SANG-CHUL
The author is the CEO of China Lab.

Sunday was the closing day of China’s annual political event, “the two sessions.” For the past 31 years, the two meetings — the National People’s Congress and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference — has drawn attention from not only China but also the entire world.

Immediately after the conclusion of the two sessions, the premier traditionally holds a press conference and personally explains the administrative state of China since 1994. This is a very valuable occasion, as obtaining related information is difficult in China. But the press conference disappeared this year — and it will not be held again unless some special thing happens. Why? There are three main reasons.

First, since Chinese President Xi Jinping has become the “one and only dignitary,” there should not be any trouble with his status. Originally, the premier is in charge of the two sessions, from leading the government briefing on state affairs on the opening day to the press conference on the final day. The events reveal the spirit of the premier with characteristic rhetoric.

That was possible under the two-leader system of the general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the premier of the cabinet. But such a show of dual leadership has become disrespectful. Premier Li Qiang — who served as chief of staff to Xi — is well aware of this. The premier wants to transform the two sessions into a venue to highlight his own boss while keeping a low profile.

Second, the premier must have struggled with many pointed questions on how to boost the sluggish Chinese economy. As it turned out, the third plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the CCP is yet to be held, even though it should have been held last fall. As the government had no clear countermeasures to rev up the economy, the press conference may have been entirely scrapped early on.

Third is the survival strategy of the premier in the Xi Jinping era. In Xi’s third term, all groups checking on Xi — such as the Shanghai clique — have disappeared. Instead, an internal battle among members of Xi’s faction is getting fierce. A source knowledgeable about China’s situation told me that the sudden resignations of Foreign Minister Qin Gang and Defense Minister Li Shangfu last year resulted from the factional disputes among those close to Xi. On the surface, corruption allegations are mentioned, but if you take a closer look, members of the Xi cohort are making one accusation after another against rivals.

Currently, the fiercest battle is being waged between Premier Li Qiang — the second-highest ranking official in China — and Politburo Standing Committee member Cai Qi, the fifth-ranking official. Cai wields the “doorman” power overseeing security for Xi.

For Li, scoring points is, of course, important, but not making a mistake is more important. As the premier’s press conference involving the foreign press could bring a disaster, it is better to skip it than make a mistake. This seems to be the real reason for the absence of the press conference. Li can survive when his presence is obscured. What an amazing demonstration of the art of survival in the era of Xi Jinping!