China Keeps Quiet about Central Committee Session

The powerful Central Committee of the Communist Party of China has concluded annual meetings in Beijing, during which they almost certainly discussed arrangements for the handover of power to the next generation of CCP leaders next year. But the media is left speculating as to how the highly secretive talks played out. From the Los Angeles Times:

In a communique, the Central Committee said only that the 18th National Party Congress would take place in the latter half of 2012 “to unite and lead all the Chinese people in building a moderately prosperous society in an all-around way, as well as accelerating the nation’s modernization drive.”

The official New China News Agency said the Central Committee’s meeting included discussion of how to improve the nation’s “cultural soft power,” meaning how the country projects its image overseas, and “cultural security,” presumably controlling the Internet and new media. There was no mention of an upcoming leadership transition.

“The Central Committee is like the College of Cardinals choosing a pope in their conclave, but at least in Rome, we know what the smoke signals are,” said Patrick Chovanec, an associate professor at Beijing’s Tsinghua University.