What Emperor for Life Looks Like in China

Posted: November 2nd, 2022

By Joseph DeTrani

Ambassador Joseph DeTrani is former Special envoy for Six Party Talks with North Korea and the U.S. Representative to the Korea Energy Development Organization (KEDO), as well as former CIA director of East Asia Operations. He also served as the Associate Director of National Intelligence and Mission Manager for North Korea and the Director of the National Counter Proliferation Center, while also serving as a Special Adviser to the Director of National Intelligence. He currently serves on the Board of Managers at Sandia National Laboratories. The views expressed represent those of the author.

EXPERT PERSPECTIVE — There was something unnerving about the 20th Party Congress of the Chinese Communist Party. It was orchestrated meticulously, except for the removal from the Congress of former President Hu Jintao who, according to Chinese media, was ill.

This was President Xi Jinping’s Congress and he dominated it, appointing loyalists to the 380 – member Central Committee, the 24-member Politburo and the seven-member Politburo Bureau Standing Committee, the most senior officials in China.

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