High Turnover in Xi’s Political Faction Signals Heightened Infighting in Beijing, Experts Say

Top Chinese officials, especially the Party elders, have made compromises within the Party in a bid to sustain its totalitarian rule, according to experts.

A Chinese policeman stands guard outside Zhongnanhai, which serves as the central headquarters for the Chinese Communist Party, after the sacking of politician Bo Xilai from the country's powerful Politburo, in Beijing on April 11, 2012. Mark Ralston/AFP via Getty Images

The frequent personnel changes within Xi Jinping’s faction indicate a tacit balancing act employed by the top echelons to alleviate internal dissatisfaction with the Chinese leader’s governance, according to analysts.

Within two weeks, from the end of September to early October, at least three confidants of Xi, including one military disciplinary official, were removed from their key positions or placed under investigation.