Li Zhanshu[a](born 30 August 1950) is a Chinese retired politician, who was thechairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congressfrom 2018 to 2023. He was thethird-ranking memberof thePolitburo Standing Committee of the Chinese Communist Party,China's top decision-making body, between 2017 and 2022.
Li began his political career in rural regions of his nativeHebeiprovince, rising through the ranks as theCommunist Party SecretaryofXi'an,Governor ofHeilongjiangprovince, and the Party Secretary ofGuizhouprovince. In 2012, he became chief of theGeneral Office of the Chinese Communist Party.Following the18th Party Congress,Li became one of the top advisors to party General SecretaryXi Jinping.He is regarded by the media as a senior member of "Xi Jinping Clique", one of the main political factions within the Chinese Communist Party.[1]
Early life and education
editLi was born inPingshan County, Hebeiprovince on August 30, 1950.[2]Between 1968 and 1972, he was a "“sentdown youth"at an agricultural commune in his hometown county. He studied at the Shijiazhuang Institute of Commerce inShijiazhuangfrom 1971 to 1972. He started his career as an ordinary functionary in Shijiazhuang, working as an office worker for the Shijiazhuang commercial bureau and later becoming its deputy director in 1972. In 1976, he became a clerk and head of the information division of the General Office of the Shijiazhuang Prefecture Party Committee. In 1980, Li studiednight schoolatHebei Normal University,graduating via part-time studies in 1983.[3]
Regional leadership
editHebei
editAfter graduating, he was promoted to Party Secretary ofWuji County(at around the same time, the party chief of neighbouringZhengding CountywasXi Jinping,currentGeneral Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party). In 1985, he became the deputy party secretary and Commissioner of Shijiazhuang prefecture (not equivalent to mayor), later becoming the secretary of the Hebei Provincial Committee of theCommunist Youth League of China.In 1988, he attended a six-month program on CCP theoretical work at theCentral Party School.[3]He served as the deputy party secretary and head of Chengde Prefecture from 1990 to 1993, and as the secretary-general of theHebei Provincial Party Committeefrom 1993 and 1997. He also enrolled at a economics in a correspondence program at the Central Party School from 1992 to 1994. Between 1997 and 1998, he served as the deputy director of the Rural Work Office of the Provincial Party Committee.[3]
Shaanxi
editIn 1998, Li was transferred to Shaanxi province to serve on its party standing committee and become the head of its provincial Organization Department. Beginning in January 2002, Li became the Party Secretary of Xi'an. In May, he concurrently took on the role of deputy party chief of Shaanxi province.[3]During his term in Xi'an, Li was known to have set the goal for Xi'an to become the "best city in the western interior".
Heilongjiang
editIn December 2003, Li became Deputy Party Secretary of Heilongjiang, and assumed the post of Vice Governor about a year later.[4]At the time, outside observers classified Li as a member of theTuanpai,i.e., officials with a background in the Communist Youth League. On December 25, 2007, then GovernorZhang Zuojiresigned, and Li took over as acting Governor, confirmed in January 2008.[5]
Guizhou
editIn August 2010, Li became the Party Secretary ofGuizhouprovince, taking on his first role in the top office of a province.[3]At the time, Li was not yet a full member of the Central Committee; it was considered very rare for someone to hold office as a provincial party chief without a full seat on the Central Committee.[6]
General Office
editIn July 2012, Li was transferred to Beijing to serve as the executive deputy director of theGeneral Office of the Chinese Communist Party,being groomed to replaceLing Jihua.[3]He assumed office as Director of the General Office two months later.[7]Three months later, Li was also named Secretary of the Work Committee for Organs Directly Reporting to the Central Committee (Trung trực công ủy thư ký).[8]Regarded as a "rising star", Li was elected to the Politburo of the Chinese Communist Party at the18th Party Congressheld in November 2012, which was unusual for a General Office Chief (Ling Jihua, for example, was not a member of the Politburo), signaling that Li would hold significant clout under Xi Jinping'sadministration.Additionally, as was customary of the general office chief, Li was also named a Secretary of the Central Secretariat.[9]In 2013, Li was also named chief of the General Office of the newly formedNational Security Commission.
Li has played a major role in facilitating a strong relationshipbetween China and Russia,and is the first General Office chief in post-Mao China to have played such an active role in foreign affairs. For example, in 2015 Li was sent as a "special envoy" of Xi Jinping to meet withVladimir Putinin Moscow.[10]During the2015 Moscow Victory Day Paradeheld in Moscow, Li was a member of the Chinese delegation. Li was known to have accompanied Xi on theleader's various meetings with foreign guests, including on Xi's 2015 state visit to the United States.
Li, seen as one of the most influential members of Xi Jinping's inner circle, was considered a "dark horse"candidate for the 19thPolitburo Standing Committee,China's top decision-making body which took office in 2017.[11]Li was an alternate member of the 16th and 17th Central Committees of the Chinese Communist Party and was a full member of the18th Central Committee.
Standing Committee
editLi was chosen to be a member of the 19thPolitburo Standing Committee,China's top decision-making body, at the 1st plenary session of the19th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Partyon 25 October 2017.[12][13]On March 17, 2018, Li was elected as theChairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress.[14]
Li represented General Secretary Xi Jinping atNorth Korea's70th anniversary celebrationsin 2018.[15]
Regarding his work, Li claims to abide by a "three-nos" principle: they are: "no messing around with other people, no playing games, no loafing on the job."[16]
In November 2020, following the expulsion of 4 pro-democracy lawmakers in the Hong Kong Legislative Council, Li defended the expulsion, arguing that the decision was both "necessary" and "appropriate."[17]
In September 2022, during a meeting with senior Russian figures, Li pledged China's "understanding and full support" in Russia's position on the issue of the2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.He said, "given the circumstances, Russia has taken necessary measures. China understands, and we are coordinating on various aspects." He went on to directly blamethe United StatesandNATOfor "expanding NATO directly on Russia's doorstep, threatening Russia's national security and the lives of Russian citizens."[18]The Wall Street Journalreported on 19 March 2023, citing sources, that the Russians leaked this footage without Chinese knowledge, and that if China knew the situation beforehand, "its choice of words would have been more careful to prevent China from being seen as an accomplice to Russia".[19]
Li retired from the Politburo Standing Committee after the 20th Party Congress in October 2022 and retired from politics in March 2023 after he stepped down asChairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress,whichZhao Lejisucceeded.
Family
editLi's great-uncleLi Zaiwen(Lật tái ôn;1908–1967) served as Vice Governor ofShandongprovince.
Li's wife, Wang Jinfeng (Vương kim phượng), was born on October 30, 1953.
Li Qianxin
editLi's eldest daughter, Li Qianxin (Lật tiềm tâm;born 20 June 1982), also known as Naomi Li,[20]has been reported by Chinese-language media as being active in Hong Kong, and is one of the Vice-Chairs of theHua Jing Society,a youth organization promoting mainland-Hong Kong cooperation.[21]Li Qianxin reportedly bought a townhouse in Hong Kong's Stanley Beach for $15 million in 2013.[22]
According to a New York Times investigation, Li Qianxin bought a 4-story property at 6 Stanley Beach Road in theSouthern DistrictofHong Kong Islandin 2013 for US$15 million through Century Joy Holdings Ltd., a company registered in Hong Kong with Li Qianxin as the sole director, and incorporated in theBritish Virgin Islands.[22]In October 2019, whenThe New York Timescontacted her regarding a scandal involving Deutsche Bank and their illicit hiring practices,[22]she dissolved Century Joy Holdings Ltd. within a matter of hours.[22]Li Qianxin was found to have pushed Deutsche Bank to hire her younger sister, who was deemed unqualified for the bank's corporate communications team, but received the job offer anyway.[22]
Her husband, Chua Hwa Por (Thái hoa ba;born 17 May 1985), was also part of the report.[22]Chua owned a racehorse called Limitless, and also took over a company named Tai United in early 2017, when he was appointed as chairman.[22]Under his supervision, Tai United bought a large share in thePeninsula Hotel,as well as the entire 79th floor of a Hong Kong skyscraper (reported earlier by SCMP to be atThe Center[23]).[22]Chua stepped down from Tai United shortly afterwards in July 2017, whenNext Magazinereported on the purchases and Chua's potential ties to Li Qianxin's father, Li Zhanshu.[22]In January 2018, Chua then sold the majority of his Tai United shares.[22]
Together, Li Qianxin and Chua jointly own another company, named Chua & Li Membership.[22]Li Qianxin and Chua both had listed the 6 Stanley Beach Road unit as their residence until early 2020, when Li Qianxin changed her address to another apartment Chua owns in Hong Kong, located on the 60th floor of a building.[22]
Also according to the investigation, Li Qianxin joined networks such as the Hua Jing Society in Hong Kong, a group that networks princelings and tycoons.[22]
In 2024, Li Qianxin was named as a member of the steering committee for the Hong Kong "Research, Academic and Industry Sectors One-plus Scheme."[24]
Li Duoxi
editLi's youngest daughter, Li Duoxi (Lật đa tập;born 25 May 1987), works atDeutsche Bank.
Awards and honors
edit
Notes
editReferences
edit- ^"Members of the Xi Jinping Clique Revealed".
- ^"Li Zhanshu".Archivedfrom the original on 2018-10-09.
- ^abcdef"Li Zhanshu lật chiến thư"(PDF).Brookings Institution.Retrieved26 September2024.
- ^Lật chiến thư, lưu học lương nhậm hắc long giang tỉnh phó tỉnh trường(in Chinese (China)).Xinhua News.2004-10-11. Archived fromthe originalon 2012-08-20.Retrieved2015-01-12.
- ^Lật chiến thư lí tân hắc long giang tỉnh đại tỉnh trường.ynet.com(in Chinese (China)). Archived fromthe originalon 2010-10-01.Retrieved2015-01-12.( bắc kinh thanh niên báo 》 võng trạm )
- ^Lật chiến thư nhậm quý châu tỉnh ủy thư ký.china.com(in Chinese (China)). 2010-08-21.Archivedfrom the original on 2015-01-12.Retrieved2015-01-12.
- ^Tang, Danlu (2012-09-01)."Ling Jihua appointed head of United Front Work Department".Xinhua.Archived fromthe originalon 2012-09-04.Retrieved2012-09-03.
- ^Lật chiến thư kiêm nhậm trung trực công ủy thư ký lệnh kế hoa bất tái kiêm nhậm.zzdjw.com(in Chinese (China)). 2012-11-01. Archived fromthe originalon 2016-03-04.Retrieved2015-01-12.
- ^Thập bát giới nhất trung toàn hội tuyển cử trung ương chính trị cục ủy viên(in Chinese (China)). Xinhua News. 2012-11-15. Archived fromthe originalon 2015-03-21.Retrieved2015-01-12.
- ^"Meeting with Director of General Office of Chinese Communist Party Li Zhanshu".Kremlin.ru. March 19, 2015.Archivedfrom the original on May 18, 2015.RetrievedMay 10,2015.
- ^Thập cửu đại thường ủy nhân sự đại thôi trắc, thiên vương tạp vị chiến kích liệt dự nhiệt ( đồ ).Sina Daily. July 15, 2013.Archivedfrom the original on August 12, 2015.RetrievedJanuary 12,2015.
- ^Wen, Philip; Blanchard, Ben (24 October 2017)."China unveils new leadership line-up with no clear successor to Xi".Reuters.Archived fromthe originalon 26 October 2017.Retrieved26 October2017.
- ^"China unveils new leadership line-up with no clear successor to Xi".Reuters.25 October 2017. Archived fromthe originalon 2017-10-26.Retrieved2017-10-25.
- ^Lật chiến thư đương tuyển vi thập tam giới toàn quốc nhân đại thường ủy hội ủy viên trường.Xinhua. 2018-03-17.Archivedfrom the original on 2018-03-17.Retrieved2018-03-17.
- ^Tập cận bình tổng thư ký đặc biệt đại biểu lật chiến thư tương phóng vấn triều tiên.Xinhua. 2018-09-04.Archivedfrom the original on 2018-09-05.Retrieved2018-09-04.
- ^Xi Jinping's China.KW Publishers Pvt. 15 September 2017.ISBN9789386288912.
- ^"Beijing disqualifies four pro-democracy lawmakers - RTHK".news.rthk.hk.Retrieved2020-11-11.
- ^Feng, John (14 September 2022)."China gives clearest support for Russia's invasion of Ukraine so far".Newsweek.Retrieved14 September2022.
- ^Wei, Lingling (19 March 2023)."Putin Proves an Unpredictable Partner for Xi as Nations Cement Ties".The Wall Street Journal.Retrieved19 March2023.
- ^"New York Times author Mike Forsythe".Twitter.Retrieved2020-12-14.
- ^Tập cận bình ái tương lật chiến thư chi nữ dĩ hồng nhị đại cảng nhân thân phân hoạt dược hương cảng.Wenxuecity.com.September 10, 2012.Archivedfrom the original on January 12, 2015.RetrievedJanuary 12,2015.
- ^abcdefghijklm"Luxury Homes Tie Chinese Communist Elite to Hong Kong's Fate".
- ^"How's the 'Singaporean' investor in The Peninsula's holding company l…".archive.is.2017-07-20. Archived fromthe originalon 2017-07-20.Retrieved2020-12-14.
- ^"HK$10 billion fund for universities aims to boost Hong Kong economy: new head".South China Morning Post.2024-01-18.Retrieved2024-02-17.
- ^"Lật chiến thư đồng nga la tư liên bang ủy viên hội chủ tịch mã đặc duy diên khoa cử hành hội đàm".The National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China.2022-04-15.RetrievedFebruary 3,2023.
- ^Mo, Jingxi (2022-04-16)."Legislator: ties with Russia are resilient".China Daily.RetrievedFebruary 3,2023.
