Reuters’ Chris Buckley reports that the Chinese Communist Party may reduce the influence of its domestic security chief, a post currently occupied by Zhou Yongkang, as it considers trimming the size of the Politburo Standing Committee this fall:
The provisional agreement to shrink the Standing Committee and to effectively downgrade the status of Zhou’s successor has been rumored for months and firmed up during secret discussions since July, said six sources with direct ties to senior leaders and retired party elders.
“As things now stand, the Political and Legal Affairs Committee secretary won’t be in the Standing Committee. He’ll have to answer to someone in the Standing Committee. Basically, he won’t be his own judge anymore,” said a retired party official who remains close to many sitting senior officials.
“I don’t think all the people (in the Standing Committee) have been decided, but it seems clear it will be seven.”
He and other sources spoke on condition of anonymity, fearing recriminations from discussing secretive party issues.
