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China president to promote allies in sweeping reshuffle: sources

22 November 2013 21:08 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. Chinese President Xi Jinping plans to promote a string of allies in coming months as part of a sweeping reshuffle of the Communist Party, the government and the military, three separate sources with ties to the leadership said, APA reports quoting Reuters.

The reshuffle would allow Xi, who is also party and military chief, to deepen his power base and counter opposition to the bold reforms unveiled this month at the third plenum of the party's leaders, said the sources.

The reforms, which included a relaxation of the one-child policy and letting financial markets play a greater role in the economy, were seen as an indication of how effectively Xi had been able to consolidate his power just a year after taking over as party chief.

"With the third plenum over, Xi will promote his men to work with him and implement his policies and the reforms," one of the sources said.

The changes will happen in the run-up, during or just after the annual full session of parliament next March, the sources said.

Li Zhanshu, 63, one of Xi's closest allies, is the front-runner to replace Han Zheng, 59, as Shanghai's party boss, the sources said. The party boss outranks the city mayor.

"Han Zheng will definitely step down and go to Beijing," a second source told Reuters, who like the others requested not to be identified to avoid repercussions for discussing secretive elite politics.

The sources said Han is tipped to be named to a senior role in the reform committee that Xi is setting up to oversee the reform process. However, Li's and Han's appointments are not set in stone, they said.

Both Li and Han sit on the party's decision-making 25-member Politburo and stand a good chance of promotion to the pinnacle of power - the seven-member Politburo Standing Committee - during the next five-yearly party congress in 2017, the sources said.

A spokeswoman for the Shanghai city government declined to comment when reached by telephone. The Communist Party spokesman's office, also declined to comment.