Xi Jinping’s Ostracism of Premier Li Qiang: Analysis of Charm Offensive Strategies

2023-06-25 15:43:12

The picture shows Xi Jinping (left) and Li Qiang at the National People’s Congress of the Communist Party of China on March 11 this year. (Lintao Zhang/Getty Images)

[The Epoch Times, June 25, 2023](Reported by Epoch Times reporter Zhang Mingjian) Chinese Premier Li Qiang did not take a special plane during his first overseas visit since he took office. Li Qiang ranks second only to Xi Jinping, the leader of the Communist Party of China. China experts believe that although Li Qiang is Xi’s confidant, Xi Jinping still guards once morest him and does not allow the No. 2 figure in the party to get too close to him.

The details of Li Qiang’s visit to Europe by charter flight were also prominently reported by the CCP’s official media. In the same news, the CCP’s CCTV mentioned the “charter flight” twice. The report said: “On the followingnoon of June 18, Premier Li Qiang left by charter Beijing… On the evening of the 18th local time, Li Qiang’s chartered plane arrived at Berlin Brandenburg Airport.”

According to the regulations of the CCP, when Xi Jinping and Li Qiang visit abroad, they are both eligible to take special planes. Article 13 of the “Eight-point Regulations of the Central Committee” and the “Implementation Rules for the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee to Implement the Eight-point Regulations of the Central Committee” proposed by the CCP in December 2012 stated that the General Secretary of the CCP Central Committee and the Premier of the State Council took special planes for visits, and other Political Bureaus of the CCP Central Committee Members of the Standing Committee may take civil aviation charter flights or flights according to work needs.

The reporter searched the relevant reports of the CCP’s official media in the past, but found no precedent for the CCP’s prime minister to take a “chartered flight” for a visit. Even the previous Premier Li Keqiang, who had serious conflicts with Xi Jinping, still took special planes to visit various countries following he stepped down as a member of the Politburo Standing Committee and before he stepped down as the Premier of the Communist Party of China.

Political commentator Chen Pokong said in his own media on June 20 that there were two main reasons why Li Qiang was downgraded to take the chartered flight. “One is demoting, and the other is defense.”

“Relegation means that although Li Qiang is the leader of the Communist Party of China and the country, and the number two figure, Xi Jinping wants to make Li Qiang’s status very different from his own. He will not take a special plane to visit like the past prime ministers. Now it is a red monarchy. All the following The people who are in charge are the ministers, and they want to keep a distance from the emperor.” Chen Pokong said, “So this time, Xi Jinping probably asked Cai Qi, the director of the General Office of the Central Committee, to restrain Li Qiang, so that Li Qiang cannot show his face and be as famous as Li Keqiang.”

“The other one is defense. Why guard once morest Li Qiang? Because even though Li Qiang is a member of the Xi family army, even though he was Xi Jinping’s secretary in Zhejiang, and now he is promoted to prime minister, he is still treated as a secretary. But because Li Qiang was in charge of Zhejiang and Shanghai , and some market economy ideas, as well as more respect for entrepreneurs, and more respect for doctor Zhang Wenhong in Shanghai, and since Li Qiang took office, he picked up Li Keqiang’s street stall economy, and even set up a Zibo model that became popular all over the country In the end, Xi Jinping scolded him face to face and called him to stop. This was a heavy blow to Li Qiang. So now Li Qiang is suffering from both sides, outside, and at home, he is also oppressed by Xi Jinping, Cai Qi, and Wang Huning. So this time the leaders of Germany and France People are also very clear, what is Li Qiang here? He is just a clerk, running errands, and a courtesy treatment is enough, so Li Qiang just took a trip to Europe in such a useless manner. “

Moreover, there have been recent signs that Mr. Xi appears to be deliberately ostracizing Mr. Li. In mid-May, when Xi Jinping led a group of party officials to inspect the Xiongan New District in Hebei Province, he suddenly changed the subject. When talking regarding the positioning of Beijing, he said that the capital is first and foremost a political center, not a “hodgepodge” and cannot be “run in an alley.” factories” and “street stall economy”. This is the first time Xi Jinping has publicly opposed Beijing’s street-stall economy.

Li Qiang’s predecessor, Li Keqiang, first proposed the “street-street economy” when he presided over the work of the Chinese Communist government. The purpose was to alleviate the increasingly severe employment situation in Chinese society, but it was opposed by Xi Jinping and his cronies. After Li Qiang took over the State Council of the Communist Party of China, the “Zibo barbecue” with the characteristics of the street stall economy became popular in China, which made Xi Jinping unhappy.

There is another strange thing regarding Li Qiang’s diplomatic debut. On June 20, when German Chancellor Scholz and Li Qiang held a press conference in Berlin, Germany, they did not accept any questions from media reporters.

The German government spokesman explained that the Chinese side made it clear that they were not prepared to answer any questions, and pointed out that if this was not the case, the Chinese Premier would rather not meet with the media; “Another option is that either the German Chancellor appears in front of the media alone, or does not say anything to the media. Statement, we do not think this is a good solution.”

The next day (21st), a German government spokesman said, “I deeply regret this.”

Several German media outlets condemned the CCP’s actions. Among them, a political reporter from the public broadcaster ZDF criticized the CCP’s decision as “blackmail”.

Epoch Times columnist Zhang Tianliang told reporters on June 21, “This shows that either Li Qiang is very unconfident and afraid that he will not be able to answer some sensitive questions; He has to wait until Xi Jinping gives him directions before he can answer.” He believes that any of these situations is a very abnormal phenomenon for the political activities of the CCP.

Zhang Tianliang believes that Li Qiang is the weakest of the previous CCP prime ministers. He said, “Li Qiang looks weaker than expected. It can be said that since the CCP seized power, Li Qiang is the weakest of all prime ministers, and he is so weak that he is even worse than Wen Jiabao and Li Keqiang. This is the current political situation of the CCP. A very abnormal phenomenon in life.”◇

Responsible editor: Gao Jing#

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