China’s domestic security commission gets renewed powers under restructuring plan
Central Politics and Law Commission had been in the shadows since being downgraded in wake of Zhou Yongkang scandal
The top domestic security commission of China’s Communist Party looks set to regain its prominence under Beijing’s latest restructuring plan for state and party agencies.
The Central Politics and Law Commission was once an extremely powerful body, and until 2012 was run by then security tsar Zhou Yongkang. But after his retirement, and subsequent expulsion from the party and imprisonment on corruption charges, the organisation was downgraded.
Now that is all set to change, as three coordination groups, with responsibility for the maintenance of law and order, social stability and the Falun Gong crackdown, will be merged into it, according to the plan released by Xinhua on Wednesday.
The police force, prosecutor’s offices and courts also report to the commission.
The changes are intended to strengthen and improve the efficiency of the party’s leadership and coordination of its domestic security work.
