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Hu Chunhua joins China top advisory body, set to depart as vice-premier
- The one-time leadership contender who was left out of the Politburo in October is set for a ceremonial role at March sitting
- Hu has been a loyal enforcer of Xi Jinping’s poverty alleviation project but was never regarded as one of the president’s inner circle
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Vice-Premier Hu Chunhua, once considered a potential successor for China’s top jobs, was named to the country’s largest political advisory body on Wednesday, and is set to take on a ceremonial role.
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Hu’s appointment to the 14th Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) came after his surprise exit from the ruling 24-strong Politburo during the 20th party congress in October, despite being nine years shy of retirement age for his level.
Losing his Politburo seat meant Hu, 59, was certain to leave the elite group of core decision-makers in China.
The Politburo Standing Committee’s fourth ranking member Wang Huning, 67, also appeared on the new CPPCC members list, confirming an earlier report by the South China Morning Post. He is set to take over from incumbent Wang Yang as chairman of the national political advisory body in March.
Hu has served as one of China’s four vice-premiers since 2018 and was a loyal enforcer of President Xi Jinping’s grand poverty alleviation project, promoting trade amid the disruptions of increasing rivalry with the US and the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.
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