Eurasia Review
01 November 2017
- RSIS
- Media Mentions
- China’s New Military Leaders: Civil-Military Relations In Xi Jinping Era – Analysis
China’s New Military Leaders: Civil-Military Relations In Xi Jinping Era – Analysis
The Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) recently concluded 19th Congress all but confirmed Xi Jinping’s status as China’s new paramount leader since Deng Xiaoping. Alongside the promotion of his key aides – namely, Li Zhanshu and Zhao Leji – to the apex of Chinese politics that is the CCP Politburo Standing Committee, a cohort of new civilian leaders associated with Xi also gained membership in the elite 25-member Politburo.
The incorporation of the Chinese leader’s eponymous governance philosophy Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era into the Party constitution was seen by analysts as conclusive evidence of his unassailable position in the CCP hierarchy. Besides rejecting the succession norms established by Deng, Xi’s pre-eminent status in Chinese domestic politics is reflected in the revamped Central Military Commission (CMC) – the highest military authority that runs China’s nearly 2.3 million-strong People’s Liberation Army (PLA) for which Xi is commander-in-chief.
… James Char is an Associate Research Fellow with the China Programme at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore.
IDSS / Online
Last updated on 07/11/2017
