Unprecedented Job Swaps of CCP Officials Indicate Xi’s Waning Power: Analysts

It’s ‘extraordinary’ that the heads of two crucial state departments swapped roles midway through their five-year terms, an analyst says.

A security guard stands at his post during the opening session of the National People's Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on March 5, 2024. (Photo by WANG Zhao / AFP) Photo by WANG ZHAO/AFP via Getty Images

Two high-ranking Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials have swapped their roles halfway through their five-year terms. The unprecedented move, unveiled ahead of a key political meeting held every five years, may indicate growing pressures on Chinese leader Xi Jinping from rival factions within the CCP, according to analysts.

Li Ganjie, former head of the Organization Department, is now in charge of the United Front Work Department, which focuses on expanding the Party’s influence internationally. Shi Taifeng, who succeeded Li at the Organization Department, now manages the Party’s personnel affairs.