Quietly Held Party Building Meeting: Cai Qi and Li Xi Shift Their Tone.

Illustration: On March 12, 2023, CCP Politburo Standing Committee members Cai Qi and Li Xi attend a session of the National People’s Congress. (Noel Celis/AFP)

[People News] On August 29, the official media of the Communist Party of China featured an article on the front page titled 'Xi Jinping Issues Important Instructions Emphasising the Unwavering Implementation of the Spirit of the Eight Central Regulations and Promoting the Normalisation and Long-term Effectiveness of Style Construction.' The article primarily discusses Xi's reiteration of the need to 'continuously grasp the implementation of the spirit of the Eight Central Regulations' and address issues related to party building, stressing the importance of 'determination and perseverance in fighting tough battles and protracted wars.'

What is particularly unusual is that immediately after discussing Xi's instructions, it was reported that the leading group for party building work of the Communist Party of China convened a meeting on the 29th to convey Xi's directives. Two members of the Politburo Standing Committee, Cai Qi and Li Xi, who also serve as the head and deputy head of the party building work leading group, attended the meeting and delivered speeches.

This is considered strange because, in the past, such information would typically be presented as two separate news items, emphasising the status of Xi, Cai Qi, and Li Xi, as well as the significance of party building work. For example, on March 12 of this year, a similar meeting of the party building leading group was held to convey Xi's instructions, and the headline read 'The Central Leading Group for Party Building Work Holds a Meeting to Study and Deploy In-depth Implementation of the Spirit of the Eight Central Regulations and Educational Work, with Cai Qi Presiding and Speaking, and Li Xi Attending and Speaking.'

However, following the Beidaihe meeting, several unusual developments occurred: Xi Jinping did visit Tibet, but he was not the head of the central delegation; Zhang Youxia did not accompany him to Tibet without any reservations; Hu Chunhua made a high-profile visit to Linzhi in Tibet, a place previously visited by Xi and Li, and was accompanied by three local officials to attend the Northeast Asia Expo. Additionally, Xi met with the King of Cambodia and the Queen Mother in the austere setting of Zhongnanhai's Chunyi Hall under unusual circumstances. Furthermore, there has been a noticeable downgrading of the reports from the Party Building Leadership Group meeting and those of Cai Qi and Li Xi. There must be underlying reasons for these occurrences.

In fact, on April 3, 2024, Cai Qi and Li Xi participated in a Party Building Work Leadership Group meeting, which focused on studying and implementing Xi's speeches and directives regarding party discipline education.

Dajiyuan commentator Zhou Xiaohui noted that the March meeting this year was somewhat unusual compared to the April meeting last year. One notable difference is that this year's meeting was called at the request of the 'Party Central Committee,' which is above Cai Qi, while last year's meeting was initiated by Cai Qi himself. The phrase 'decided by the Party Central Committee' emphasises central decision-making and reflects the will of collective leadership, mandating Cai Qi to act from above, regardless of his willingness. In contrast, the phrase 'with the consent of the Party Central Committee' indicates that Cai Qi had the intention to hold the meeting and sought approval from the central authority, representing a bottom-up initiative.

Another unusual aspect is that it is quite rare to hold Party Building meetings for two consecutive years. Over the past decade, the frequency of meetings of the Central Committee's Party Building Work Leadership Group has been minimal, with no consecutive annual meetings. A notable exception occurred in 2012, around the time Xi came to power, when two meetings were held within a six-month period.

Additionally, last year's report highlighted that Xi provided important guidance for the development of party discipline education,' emphasising 'strict discipline to ensure that the entire party consciously maintains a high degree of consistency with the Party Central Committee led by Xi Jinping, unifying thoughts and actions,' and referred to 'loyalty.' However, this year's March report did not include any of these points. In the official report, Cai Qi's speech did not excessively praise Xi, which suggests a downgrading of Xi's position. If the Party Central Committee is still centred around Xi, then Cai Qi's flattery should have been more pronounced, not diminished.

So, why is there a need to convene another meeting less than six months after the party building leadership group meeting in March? This clearly indicates another anomaly. Is it to continue promoting the entire party under the pretext of Xi's name? Or is it to communicate the attitudes of the two Standing Committee members, Cai Qi and Li Xi, to the outside world?

It is important to note that while Cai Qi and Li Xi were demoted during the party building leadership group meeting in March this year, reports still included phrases like 'deeply understanding the decisive significance of the two establishments and resolutely achieving the two safeguards.' However, at the recent party building meeting, such expressions have vanished. Who has influenced Cai Qi and Li Xi to alter their stance?

Considering Zhang Youxia's boldness and Hu Chunhua's repeated high-profile remarks, the truth behind the shift in tone from Cai Qi and Li Xi is becoming evident: the real power brokers are certainly not Xi Jinping and his faction.

(First published by People News) △