New Zhijiang Army

New Zhijiang Army
之江新军
LeaderXi Jinping
Founded2007; 17 years ago (2007)
HeadquartersBeijing and Hangzhou
IdeologySocialism with Chinese characteristics

The New Zhijiang Army (simplified Chinese: 之江新军; traditional Chinese: 之江新軍; pinyin: Zhījiāng Xīnjūn), also known as the Xi Jinping faction (Chinese: 习近平派系),[1] is a term used by observers to represent political figures in the Chinese Communist Party who are closely related to CCP general secretary Xi Jinping, most prominently those who held important provincial and local posts during Xi Jinping's term as Communist Party Secretary of Zhejiang province. The "new army" refers to people who were closely associated with Xi and identify with his political views, and who have since then taken on prominent political posts at the provincial level or in central party and state organs.

The term was first widely used by Ma Haoliang (马浩亮), editor at Hong Kong-based newspaper Ta Kung Pao in an article entitled the New Zhijiang Army of Chinese Politics. The term Zhijiang refers to the Qiantang River, which runs through the province, but is often used as a poetic reference for the greater Zhejiang region. The term was initially used as title to Xi Jinping's book Zhijiang Xinyu (之江新语), a book compiling the political philosophies of Xi Jinping during his five-year term as party chief of Zhejiang, published in 2007.[2]

The people close to Xi Jinping have also been referred to as "Xi Clan" (simplified Chinese: 习家军; traditional Chinese: 習家軍; pinyin: Xí Jiājūn).[3]

Suggested members

Name Born Office held in Zhejiang during Xi's term Office held at present
Cai Qi
蔡奇
December 1955 Party Secretary of Quzhou, Party Secretary of Taizhou First-ranked Secretary of the CCP Secretariat
Huang Kunming
黄坤明
November 1956 Mayor of Huzhou
Party Secretary of Jiaxing
Party Secretary of Guangdong province
Chen Derong
陈德荣
March 1961 Mayor of Jiaxing Chief executive of China Baowu Steel Group
Bayanqolu
巴音朝鲁
October 1955 Party Secretary of Ningbo
Lou Yangsheng
楼阳生
October 1959 Party Secretary of Lishui Party Secretary of Henan province
Xia Baolong
夏宝龙
December 1952 Deputy Party Secretary of Zhejiang Vice Chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference
Li Qiang
李强
July 1959 Secretary-General of Zhejiang Party Committee Premier of the People's Republic of China
Chen Min'er
陈敏尔
September 1960 Head of Zhejiang provincial party Propaganda Department Party Secretary of Chongqing
Ying Yong
应勇
November 1957 Director of Supervision Department, Zhejiang
President of Zhejiang High Court
Deputy Secretary of Zhejiang Discipline Inspection Commission
Deputy Prosecutor-General of the Supreme People's Procuratorate
Zhong Shaojun
钟绍军
1968 Deputy Head of the Organization Department of Zhejiang Party Committee Lieutenant general of the People's Liberation Army
Director of the General Office of the Central Military Commission
Li Xi
李希
1956 Secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection
Chen Xi
陈希
September 1953 President of the Central Party School
He Lifeng
何立峰
February 1955 Vice Premier of the People's Republic of China
Shu Guozeng
舒国增
1956

Others

Other politicians have been named by Chinese-language media as associates of Xi Jinping. They have known or worked under him as a result of their regional tenures in Shaanxi province (Xi's "home province"), the southeast (Zhejiang and Fujian provinces), or through Tsinghua University, where Xi spent time in his youth. Those named include Wang Qishan, Li Zhanshu, Liu He, Chen Xi, He Yiting, Wang Xiaohong, Li Shulei, and Huang Xingguo (since disgraced). In the military, Liu Yuan, Zhang Youxia, and Liu Yazhou have been named as some of Xi's top associates.[4]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Members of the Xi Jinping Clique Revealed". Jamestown. Retrieved 13 August 2022.
  2. ^ Ma, Haoliang (29 December 2014). "中国政坛的"之江新军"". Ta Kung Po via Mingjing. Archived from the original on 12 January 2015. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
  3. ^ 楊 Yang, 光 Guang. ""習近平的山頭主義用人路線 Xi Jinping de shantou zhuyi yongren luxian (The cliquish cadre promotion line of Xi Jinping)"". Retrieved 22 September 2017.
  4. ^ Reuters via Deutsche Welle