Transfer of Power in Chinese Regime Approaches Crunch Time

With the 18th Party Congress rapidly approaching, the reshuffling of power within the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has entered a critical phase. In the July 2012 Beidaihe Meeting, top Party leaders are expected to decide on the regime’s new leaders.

An announcement on who will lead the CCP for the next 10 years, however, will not be made until October or November, following the secretive tradition of power handovers in the regime.

…

Another well-informed source told New Epoch Weekly that Hu’s original plan for the 18th Politburo Standing Committee (PSC) included Vice Premier Li Keqiang, Organization Department Chief Li Yuanchao, Chief of the General Office of the Central Committee Ling Jihua, and Party Secretary of Hunan Zhou Qiang, who are all key members of the Communist Youth League faction led by Hu.

The Wang Lijun scandal, however, has led to the ouster of Bo Xilai and implicated domestic security chief Zhou Yongkang. The scandal also exposed Bo and Zhou’s coup plot to prevent Xi Jinping’s smooth succession; and Bo and Zhou are both close allies of Jiang Zemin.

Jiang’s supporters are now in a desperate fight to stay in power. Hu therefore was forced to put aside his plan for the upcoming succession and has focused on keeping control of the army.

The source said that since Jiang is in frail health, his supporters want Zhou to hold onto power. They agreed to let Hu keep control of the military on the condition that Bo does not implicate Zhou in the investigation currently being conducted on Zhou.

Full article: Transfer of Power in Chinese Regime Approaches Crunch Time (The Epoch Times)