During the economic stagnation in China, the Chinese Communist Party is pushing forward a movement under the guise of responding to Party leader Xi Jinping’s so-called “correct political achievements view.” Recently, external observers have noticed that official Chinese media have been frequently publishing articles criticizing young officials, with experts suggesting that Xi Jinping doesn’t trust young officials and fears they might rebel.
An article by Ni Mingsheng published in the CCP’s party mouthpiece, People’s Daily, on September 2nd highlighted that in recent years, a large number of young officials have taken up various positions, lacking sufficient work experience, grassroots training, and practical experience. They tend to be impatient for results and avoid tackling challenging issues.
The article pointed out that some young officials are more focused on achieving quick success than on long-term sustainable results. Others set achieving quick results as their primary goal, being overly ambitious and striving for immediate visible achievements. The piece argued that this imbalance indicated a skewed perspective on political achievements. It also referenced Xi Jinping’s early experiences and called for young officials to learn from them.
According to previous reports in official media, the concept of “visible results” and “hidden accomplishments” originates from Xi’s speeches.
On overseas social media platforms, netizens criticize the term “hidden accomplishments” as a phrase coined by the Communist Party to whitewash current domestic challenges and deflect blame onto fabricated culprits. Essentially, it aims to cover up present failures by diverting attention to the Communist Party’s long-term objectives. Some view this as an excuse for Party members to cover up the failures of Xi Jinping’s governance.
Some netizens also argue, “Isn’t it the evil performance-based reward system of the CCP that drives people to pursue short-term projects for quick results while also tarnishing others, displaying extreme shamelessness?”
It is notable that in recent years, the Chinese authorities have frequently imposed requirements on young officials, often with a disparaging tone.
During the Beidaihe conference in early August last year, a publication of the CCP’s Central Organization Department criticized the issues of officials being too young and overly eager for quick achievements, suggesting that the training of young officials should proceed slowly and steadily.
On February 2nd this year, Yin Hong, the Communist Party Secretary of Jiangxi Province, stated during the provincial Discipline Inspection Commission meeting that there should be efforts to promote young officials’ compliance with regulations and intensify the investigation of young officials’ disciplinary violations.
Regarding the public suppression of young officials by the CCP, China expert Chen Pokong previously analyzed for The Epoch Times, stating that Xi is particularly distrustful of young officials. Firstly, Xi abolished the leadership term limits and collective leadership system established during the Deng Xiaoping era, indicating his desire for lifelong rule. Promoting young officials to provincial or central positions could potentially pose succession issues, which Xi strongly avoids, hoping to restrain these young officials. Secondly, in Chinese tradition, young heroes might rebel when necessary, a scenario that also concerns Xi Jinping.
In 2018, Xi Jinping eliminated term limits for the country’s presidency, shattering the party’s unwritten rules about successors. Within Xi’s first two terms, potential successors like Sun Zhengcai, Hu Chunhua, Chen Min’er, among others, were either imprisoned or pushed to the margins. Up to now, Xi’s designated successor has not emerged.
The Economist recently published an article titled “China’s Leadership Is About to Shake,” citing analysis from the research group “Gavekal Dragonomics,” indicating that the CCP’s leadership is becoming increasingly aged. In the past, the Central Committee had many formal members in their early 40s and early 50s. Currently, the youngest member is around 56 years old. According to Gavekal Dragonomics’ data, provincial party committees are also aging, with the average age now concentrated in the 50s.
Another China expert, Wang He, told The Epoch Times that the aging of officials is becoming severe, driven by Xi’s personal ambitions for long-term control.