On 22 October, the last day of the National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in Beijing, China’s state news agency Xinhua published a report unveiling how the members of the elite party bodies were selected. Whether factual or not, the report elucidates how the CCP conceives of party politics today.
Xi Jinping had sent inspection teams to visit every corner of the country looking for suitable candidates for the Central Committee and Politburo. One of the main criteria was whether they “were able to fight and [are] good at fighting”. Fight against what, exactly? Against all that endangers national security, the report said, with a specific reference to Western sanctions.
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