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From Bo Xilai to Zhou Yongkang: The End of the Shanghai Clique ?

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  • From Bo Xilai to Zhou Yongkang: The End of the Shanghai Clique ?

    The purge of Jiang Zemin’s (江泽民) Shanghai Clique is picking up speed. Just days after the end of Bo Xilai’s (薄熙来) corruption trial, before the former politburo princeling and Chongqing party secretary has even been sencented, former politburo standing committee (PBSC) member and national security tzar Zhou Yongkang (周永康) has become the highest ranking party member to face discipline since the fall of Zhao Ziyang in 1989.

    “Business as usual for Zhou Yongkang?” David Brandurski, April 4, 2012, China Media Project, Business as usual for Zhou Yongkang? - China Media Project accessed August 31, 2013.
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  • #2
    Could you expand on your understanding of who Zhou Yongkang is or what he stands for (if anything).

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    • #3
      Zhou Yongkang spent the bulk of his career in the energy industry, first petroleum exploration in the North-east (1966-85), then Petroleum Industry Minister (1985-88), back into business at China National Petroleum Corp (1988-98), Lands and Resources Minister (1998-99), party boss of Sichuan (1999-2002), Public Security Minister (2002-07) and Politburo Standing Committee member in charge of internal security (2007-12).

      Next up: Jiang Jiemin, long time oil man turned state assets administrator now under investigation for “serious disciplinary violations” . . . i.e., corruption. He and Zhou Yongkang were in the Shandong petroleum administration together in the early 1990s.

      Which begs the question of whether this is a purge of the Shanghai Clique or the Neo-Petroleum Faction. The Petroleum Faction was a rather limited group of technocrats under Yu Qiuli who built the Daqing oil fields (“Learn from Daqing!”) and then advocated using the profits from oil exports and deficit spending to import Western technology. Very pro central planning and heavy industry. Other members included Kang Shi’en, Gu Mu, Zhang Zhen and the heads of the heavy and energy ministries.

      The Neo Petrolheads include long time vice premier Madam Wu Yi, Zhou Yongkang, Li Yizhong, Wei Liucheng, Ma Fucai and Wang Tao. Aside from working together, they don’t appear to have any coherent world view or deep personal connections. Maybe its just a love of big assets?

      The connection between the two groups is Yu Qiuli’s patronage of former Vice President Zeng Qinghong (Zeng was Yu’s personal secretary, or mishu, in the 1979-82 period), who in turn mentored Zhou Yongkang, He Guoqiang (ex-CCP Organization Dept Director and later PBSC member in charge of discipline) and Sheng Huaren (ex-NPC Vice Chair). Zeng helped Zhou move out of the oil fields and into the State Council and provincial leadership.

      Zeng and Zhou cultivated the next generation, including Zhang Gaoli (politburo), Jiang Jiemin (from oil to Qinghai vice governor), Wei Liucheng (from oil to Hainan governor), Chen Tonghai (from oil to Ningbo mayor) and Li Xinhua (from oil to Yunnan vice governor), Wang Anshun (from oil to Shanghai and then Beijing deputy CCP secretary) and ). Su Shulin and Wang Tianpu (both Sinopec).
      Last edited by DOR; 02 Sep 13,, 02:21. Reason: Add note on He Guoqiang
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      • #4
        Xi Jinping Bags His First Tiger

        Former Politburo Standing Committee (PBSC) member Zhou Yongkang is said to be under official (party) investigation for "serious disciplinary violations," code for corruption. This announcement signals that a consensus has been reached among the PBSC members.

        More important, it confirms -- health and his colleagues permitting -- that Xi Jinping will be the dominant force in Chinese politics until 2027. He is expected to serve two terms (10 years) as CCP General Secretary and State President, and then keep a close eye over the shoulder of his (likely hand-picked) successor for a further five years.
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        • #5
          Corruption in the Ranks

          It took some time to find the namelist of the "14 Generals" released on Monday. What I finally came up with was half-again as many.

          Note that General Liu Yuan (Liu Shaoqi's son) was the one who first blew the whistle on corruption in the logistics sector. Some of this looks like the result of follow-up work.

          National
          Xu Caihou, ex-Military Affairs Commission Vice Chair
          Gu Junshan, ex-Deputy Director, PLA General Logistics Department
          Liu Hongjie, ex-Deputy Director of Logistics Support, PLA HQ
          Gao Xiaoyan (f), ex-Deputy Political Commissar, Disipline Inspection Commission Secretary at PLA Information Engineering University
          Dai Weimin, ex-Deputy President, Nanjing Political College
          Zhang Dongshui, ex-Deputy Political Commissar 2nd Artillery
          Cheng Jie, ex-Deputy Chief-of-Staff, PLAN North China Fleet
          Huang Xing, ex-Chinese Academy of Military Science researcher; leaked state secrets, aided Kokang (Burma) rebels in 2009
          Duan Tianjie, ex-Deputy Director, General Political Department National Defense University


          Regional
          Yan Jinshan, Lt Gen’l, ex-Chengdu Military Region Deputy Commander
          Chen Hongyan, ex-Deputy Director General Political Department, Beijing Military Region Air Force
          Wang Sheng, ex-Director of Logistics Dept, Guangzhou Military Region Air Force
          Chen Jianfeng, ex-Deputy Director of Joint Logistics Department, Guangzhou Military Region
          Zhu Heping, ex-Director of Joint Logistics Department of the Chengdu Military Region
          Wang Aiguo, ex-Director of the Joint Logistics Department of Shenyang Military Region

          Provincial
          Huang Shijun, ex-Hubei Military District Commander
          Ye Wanyong, ex-Political Commissar, Sichuan Military District
          Wei in, Deputy ex-Political Commissar, Tibet Military District
          Lan Weijie, ex-Hubei Military District Deputy Commander – sentenced to life in prison
          Guo Zhenggang (son of Guo Boxiong): ex-Zhejiang Military District Deputy Political Commissar
          Huang Xianjun, ex-Director of Shanxi Military District General Political Department
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          • #6
            This is a very cool visualization of those who have been purged. It can be customized by sector (military, media, etc), location and rank (tigers vs. flies). Lots of fun for those of us fascinated by Chinese elite politics.

            http://anticorruption.chinafile.com/

            Plug in Xu Caihou's name and then click on the little blue man to see his connections to other who have been purged.
            Last edited by DOR; 12 Feb 16,, 17:53.
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            • #7
              China Youth League reforms to reinforce CPC leadership Downsized, demoted, streamline

              Xi Jinping's purge continues, and expands beyond mere corruption.

              CYL to be downsized, demoted, streamlined: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/20..._135561349.htm

              Shrinking the influence of CYL alumni: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/04/wo...ague.html?_r=0

              Some folks with a bit of skin in the game ... on the wrong side .. include the Premier, National People’s Congress Chair, Vice Premier, Party School president (those four are all Politburo Standing Committee members) as well as the PRC Vice President, Supreme People’s Court President and nine other Politburo members.
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              • #8
                Pre-19th update

                Politburo member Sun Zhengcai, Chongqing’s CCP Secretary up until last week when Xi Jinping ally Chen Min’er took over, is under investigation. As Sun is a sitting politburo member, this takes on the appearance of a pre-19th Party Congress house cleaning.

                Who else is in the line of fire?
                Is Wang Qishan going after PBoC Governor Zhou Xiaochuan? Zhou and fellow financial technocrat Lou Jiwei share an interesting background: both were students at the Beijing Institute of Automation in the mid-1970s. Former Finance Minister Lou then went to Tsinghua in 1978, and Zhou followed in 1985. Both then moved into financial planning and regulation.

                The central bank is the big brother of other regulatory agencies, and their top dogs are getting grilled. Interestingly, Pan Shengzhou, one of Xi Jinping’s economic reformers, joins Li Qiufang as the second senior Disciplinary Inspection Commission official assigned to the State Council Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office.

                Regulators: Yao Gang, China Securities Regulatory Commission vice chair, and Zhang Yujun, CSRC’s assistant chair have both been detained. China Banking Regulatory Commission assistant chair Yang Jiacai is suspect as well. China Insurance Regulatory Commission chief Xiang Junbo is “assisting the authorities with their inquiries.”

                Business: Wu Xiaohui, married to one of Deng Xiaoping’s granddaughters and chair of Anbang Insurance, is under investigation for corruption.
                Xiao Jianhua appears to have been kidnapped from Hong Kong’s Four Seasons Hotel (think: $500/night, greenbacks that is) where he had been living for quite some time.
                Guo Wengui, a billionaire hiding out in the US, is said to have highly damaging information about senior Chinese officials. If he actually has it, and shares it with the CIA, the impact would make email-gate look like a schoolyard staring contest. If he doesn’t have the dirt, it’s a great ploy to keep his family and associates in China safe. But, since he seems to be mainly targeting Wang Qishan, it might just be a way to save his own skin.

                Hedge fund guru Xu Xiang was jailed earlier this year for stock market manipulation.

                Also under the hot lamps is Xu Ming, Dailian Shide Group president. He made his first fortune in construction in Dalian, where Bo Xilai was running the development zone and later the entire city.
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                • #9
                  Is the Shanghai Clique still a contender?


                  Willy Lam, one of the grand old men of Peking-ology, is suggesting that former VP Zeng Qinghong and former VP Wang Qishan may be working to bring about Xi Jinping's retirement.
                  https://jamestown.org/program/factio...olidate-power/

                  The subtleties of Chinese politics … this was posted in the culinary section of a liberal news organization, Caixin.com (yes, such things exist in China).

                  “If a pighead is well cooked, it can of course be delicious,” the brief note said. “Yet if a pighead is not respected, this has to do with people’s way of thinking. Ordinary people won’t think of forming a strategic relationship on the dining table with a pighead that bears a bad name.”

                  The author is one of the founders of the website, and a highly regarded journalist.

                  “Pighead” is one of the nicknames used for Xi, as well as a highly praised dish.
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