brihaspati wrote:
As far as I know the top level founders of the PRC were not engineers either. So running China does not seem to necessitate "engineering" skills. However what will be most interesting to know is to know how the current "most talented" crop came to be chosen into their hot-seats! Can you enlighten please? Take up the cases one by one of the regional party chiefs, and then move on to CMC and Standing Committee/Politbureau. We know more or less who belongs where, so it would immensely gratifying to know the process of their rise through the party hierarchy.
I am trying my best to outline the career path of the current 9 Politburo Standing Committee members. In fact, they are more predictable than you thought. You can safely predict the next 9 members with probably one or two misses. There are some hidden rules in the promotion of CCP officials.
Hu, Jintao
Tsinghua graduate, hydraulic engineering major, worked 5 years on Liujiaxia Hydro-power Station construction site in Gansu provience (one of the poorest provience in China) after graduation. In 1974，he joined Construction Department of Gansu and raised to vice department chief. In 1982, he was promoted to Communist Youth League Central Committee and finally become the First Secretary of CY Central in 1985. Then in 1987, he was assigned as Party boss of Guizhou provience(the poorest provience in China). Then in 1988, he became the Tibet party boss.
In 1992, he was appointed as the youngest Politburo Standing Committee member and spend next 10 years to take charge of day-to-day operations of the Central Committee, and the Central Party School.
In 2002, he became the 4th core of CCP.
Wu, Bangguo
Tsinghua graduate, EE major. Started work as EE engineer in Shanghai No3 Electronic Tube Factory and finally became the factory manager. His political career started at 1983 when he became a member of Standing Committee of the Shanghai party committee. From 1985 to 1991, he was deputy party boss of Shanghai. At that time, the Shanghai party boss was Jiang, Zemin and then Zhu, Rongji. From 1991, he became the party boss of Shanghai. In 1995, he got promoted to Vice Premier charging industry, energy, transporation and defence-industry sector. He was a Premier candidate but lose to Wen, Jiabao and became NPC chairman.
Wen, Jiabao
Geology major. Spend 10 years in Gansu Geo-mechanics Survey Team and became the team leader. Then spend next 5 years raise to the Gansu Provincial Geological Bureau chef. Then vice-minister of Geology and Mineral Resources in 1983. Then promoted to director of the Party's General Affairs Office in 1985. After 8 years on that post, he became member of Secretariat of the CCP Central Committee. In 1998, he became Vice Premier overseeing agricultural, financial and environmental policies. In 2003, he became Premier. He is the only one in Standing Committee that does not have any provincial governing experience.
Jia, Qinglin
EE major. Started career as Technician at 1962, raised to Director of Taiyuan Heavy Machinery Plant in 1983. Got assigned to deputy secretary of Fujian province in 1985. Then riased to Fujian governor in 1991 and party boss in 1993. In 1996, assigned to Beijing major and became Beijing party boss in 1997. In 2003 became Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference chairman. His job is handle the relation between CCP and other interest group of China, Religous, Taiwan affair and to some extent, foreign affair.
Li, Chuangchun
EE major in HIT. Started worked as EE engineer and became boss of Shenyang Electrical and Mechanical Industry Bureau in 1981. Then promoted to Shenyang’s vice major, major. He became the youngest provincial governor in 1986. After 5 years as Liaoning governor, he became governor and party boss in Henan province in 1991. In 1998, he became Guangdong boss and Politburo member. He has been governor and party for three big province, industry province Liaoning and agriculture province Henan, plus the economic giant Guangdong province. He was among the short list of Premier candidate or even the Party General Secretary candidate. He end up now charging all ideology related field like media, culture, communication, etc.
Xi, Jinpin
Next core, the 5th. Son of Communist veteran Xi Zhongxun. Tsinghua graduate, Chemical engineering major.
Because his father, he was sent to remote poor Shan’xi province at age 16 working as rural labor. He once boasted in one interview that he can carry 200 pounds of harvest grain for tens of miles on mountain trail without rest. With 6 years of intensive labor, he managed to became a CCP member which is very usual at that time. He said he has applied for membership over 10 times. And he managed to become village’s party leader and got recommendation to be enrolled into Tsinghua University in 1975. He had interests in using biogas to improve rural life. He was among the pioneers in using biogas in Shan'xi province. He claimed that is the reason why he wanted chemical engineering to be his major because he want to invent a device to better use biogas. Apperently, he got no need to invent it. When he graduated in 1979, his father returned to power. He became assistant of then vice premier, defense minister and Secretary-General of the Central Military Commission Geng, Biao. In 1982, he retired from PLA and went to one small poor county in Hebei province to become county party secretary which shocked a lot of people. He then moved to Fujian province in 1985. First as deputy major of Xiamen city, then party secretary of Ningde area, Fuzhou (capital of Fujian)party secretary, deputy Fujian Secretary. He became Fujian governor in 1999. IN 2002, Zhejiang governor, 2003, Zhejiang party secretary. In 2007, Shanghai party boss. Then win the crown in 2007 which surprised a lot of people.
Li, Keqing
Next Premier. The only member with no engineering background. He also worked as rural labor after high school in 1975. He became a CCP member and village party leader. Then went into Beijing University to study economics. He became a student leader and a member of the Communist Youth League Secretariat in 1982. His then boss was Hu, Jintao. He became the General Secretary of CYL in 1993 just as his mentor Hu did. In 1998, he was appointed to agriculture province Henan’s governor, then became party boss in 2003. Then moved to industrial province Liaoning party boss position in 2004. He was the front runner of next core. But during his tenure in Henan, several mine accidents happened and hundreds of people died. This caused him to lose a lot of votes and eventually cost him the core position. I guess the Premier is good enough for a loser running for core.
He, Guoqiang
Chemical Engineering Major. Started worked as one engineer at one Shandong fertilizer factory, rose through the ranks to the boss of Shandong Chemical petroleum industry department in 1984. Then became party secretary of Jinan City(capital of Shandong) in 1987. Then Deputy Minister of Chemical Industry in 1991. Appointed to Fujian governor in 1996. In 1999 became Chongqing party boss. In 2002 join Politburo as Central Organization Department director (The HR department of CCP, very powerful) Now is the boss of powerful Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, in charge of anti-corruption. He got the power to investigate any CCP member including Hu, of course that is theory.
Zhou, Rongkang
Geophysical exploration major. Started as one oil exploration engineer. He made some major contribution in finding some oil fields and rose in the oil industry ministry. Finally became boss of CNPC in 1996, then Minister of Land and Natural Resources in 1998, Sichuan party boss in 1999. IN 2002, became Politburo member and Minister of Public Security. Now he is probably one of the most powerful persons in China, being head of the Central Political and Legislative Committee. He take charge of all the security related matters inculding foreign affairs like Africa, Middle East, Korea, Soth Asia. I knew he just visited India and Wen, jiabao will visit India next month. In CCP sense, his visit is much more important than Wen's visit. He is the decider.
