Ever since the handover of Hong Kong from the UK to mainland China in 1997, one word has been high on the Chinese authorities’ list of priorities for the territory: integration. Greater political assimilation with the Chinese mainland was to be expected, but efforts have also been made in finance and culture, infrastructure and travel—for…
When Iran’s Supreme Leader was reported killed in a bombing attack, one question surfaced quickly: what happens when a political system built around one man suddenly loses him? For decades, Iran projected durability. Authority was centralised. Institutions revolved around a dominant leader. Stability appeared fixed. Yet in a moment, succession — long managed behind closed…
China’s ruling Communist Party kicked off a key four-day conclave on Monday that will determine the country’s development over the next five years. The fourth plenum of the party’s Central Committee began on Monday morning, according to state news agency Xinhua. Party General Secretary Xi Jinping, who is also the nation’s president, delivered a work…
Xi Jinping effectively vanished in July and the first half of August. Some China watchers speculated that his unexplained absence was a sign he was losing his grip on power. But he has since reappeared and been very visible again. At the end of the month, he visited Tibet, then indulged in a high-profile, backslapping…
New rules on certain Communist Party organs suggest China’s ruling party is aiming to standardise its decision-making process and that President Xi Jinping might be delegating more of his power, according to observers. One analyst said the move could hint at his plan for succession. The 24-member Politburo, the party’s top echelon, on Monday reviewed…
The total number of party cadres reached 100.27 million at the end of 2024, an increase of 1.1 per cent from a year earlier, according to statistics released by the CCP’s Organization Department ahead of the ruling party’s 104th anniversary on July 1. Last Updated : 30 June 2025, 10:20 IST Source link