150 years old Xi

 

73-year-old Xi Jinping resists generational shift

Chinese leader Xi Jinping turned 73 on Monday, and this week's China Up Close explores whether he is thinking about grooming a successor. It emerged this month that Cai Qi, China's security czar and Xi's closest aide, has become the president of the Party School of the Communist Party's Central Committee, which educates young elites. While attention is focused on a reshuffle of China's top leadership team at the party's national congress in 2027, the appointment of 70-year-old Cai to the key post has sparked speculation. Political pundits point out that with the appointment, Xi sent a signal he will reject potential pressure for generational change. When China held a military parade last September in Beijing, Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin were caught on a hot mic chatting about human longevity. Xi reportedly said that these days 70-year-olds are still young and mentioned the possibility "of living to 150." Their chat might help us understand Xi's thinking about passing the torch to the next generation.