Provinces in Command

Changes in Prefectural Appointments from Hu Jintao to Xi Jinping (2003-2020)

Datos Bibliográficos

ID12422147
AutoresXinhui Jiang (0000-0002-3851-3130, Nanjing University), Eaton (0000-0002-3416-7867, Humboldt University of Berlin, Germany), Genia Kostka (0000-0002-3696-9513, Freie University of Berlin, Germany, autor de correspondencia)
Año2023
Volumen32
Número144
Páginas963-983
Fecha de publicación2023-04-19
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaJournal of Contemporary China (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 1067-0564 • E-ISSN: 1469-9400
EditorialRoutledge (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/10670564.2023.2202629
OpenAlexW4366527818
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas3
Referencias citadas11

China’s ‘Xi-Li era’ is said to be defined by both the concentration of power in the center and the strengthening of Party authority. In this paper, we ask whether these trends have been evident in local appointment practices since Xi Jinping took office in 2013. By comparing the career histories of 3,682 prefectural mayors and Party Secretaries under the Hu-Wen and Xi-Li administrations, we find that while appointment practices have shifted, the observed changes are not wholly consistent with the center- and Party-strengthening narratives. First, developments in the Xi-Li era suggest that while provincial authorities are increasingly using prefectural appointments for their own ends, the center remains high and far away in these decisions. Second, we do not find evidence that cadres with a strong Party background have a particular advantage in the Xi period. Instead, cadres with strong track records in key functional xitong, particularly those with an economic profile, are still the most likely to attain leadership positions. These findings contribute to the current debate on the nature of power reconfigurations unfolding in Xi’s China

Center (category theory · China · Collective leadership · Economic history · Narrative · Political economy · Political science · Power (physics · Sociology · China's Socioeconomic Reforms and Governance · Chinese history and philosophy · History · Law · Public Administration