The Chinese Communist Party authorities held the so-called “Comprehensive Rule of Law Conference” in Beijing on November 17-18, which had several notable differences compared to previous conferences. One significant absence was that of Cai Qi, a member of the Communist Party’s Politburo Standing Committee who had been out of the public eye for over a week, sparking speculation.
On November 18, the official Chinese state media reported that the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China held the “Comprehensive Rule of Law” work conference on November 17-18 in Beijing.
Zhao Leji, a member of the Communist Party’s Politburo and chairman of the National People’s Congress, attended the conference and delivered a speech. Ding Xuexiang, another member of the Politburo and vice premier, also attended the conference and relayed important instructions from Xi Jinping, while Chen Wenqing, the secretary of the Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission, summarized the speeches. Many other high-ranking officials such as Shi Taifeng, Li Shulei, Li Hongzhong, Liu Jinguo, Wang Xiaohong, Zhang Shengmin, Wu Zhenglong, Zhang Jun, and Ying Yong were also present.
In comparison to similar conferences in the past, during the first meeting of the Central Comprehensive Rule of Law Committee on August 24, 2018, Xi Jinping attended as the director of the Rule of Law Committee, with three members of the Politburo, Li Keqiang, Li Zhanshu, and Wang Huning, attending as deputy directors. On February 25, 2019, the same four individuals participated in the second meeting of the Rule of Law Committee in the same capacity.
On February 5, 2020, Xi Jinping chaired the third meeting of the Central Comprehensive Rule of Law Committee as its director. At that time, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the official media only provided a brief report, without mentioning any other participants besides Xi.
The first meeting of the Central Comprehensive Rule of Law Work Conference was held on November 16-17, 2020, with Xi Jinping not only attending but also delivering an important speech. Li Keqiang presided over the meeting, along with other members of the Politburo, Li Zhanshu, Wang Yang, Zhao Leji, and Han Zheng, all of whom were in attendance, with Wang Huning giving the concluding remarks. This meeting did not specify the roles of Xi and the others as members of the Rule of Law Committee.
Public records indicate that in the previous Rule of Law Committee, Xi Jinping served as the director, with Li Keqiang, Li Zhanshu, and Wang Huning as deputy directors. The office director was Guo Shengkun, the secretary of the Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission.
In the current committee, Xi remains as the director, with Li Keqiang, Zhao Leji, and Cai Qi serving as deputy directors, and the office director is Chen Wenqing, the secretary of the Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission.
Political commentator Li Linyi told Epoch Times that the notable aspect of this conference was the absence of high-ranking officials. It was expected for Prime Minister Li Keqiang to be absent, as he was attending the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Member States Government Heads Council Meeting in Russia on November 17-18. Ding Xuexiang may have stood in as a representative for the State Council, but he himself is not part of the Rule of Law Committee. The most noteworthy absence was that of Cai Qi, who as a deputy director of the Rule of Law Committee, should have been in attendance, but without a valid reason for his absence. Cai Qi has been missing for over a week, raising questions whether this is due to health issues or power struggles.
Cai Qi, who also serves as the director of the Central Office, was last seen publicly on November 8, accompanying Xi Jinping on an inspection tour in Meizhou, Guangdong. However, the next day, when Xi attended the opening ceremony of the 15th National Games in Guangzhou, Cai Qi was absent, missing the group photo with relevant representatives.
On November 12, when Xi Jinping met the King of Spain, Cai Qi was also not present. Again, on November 14, during Xi’s meeting with the King of Thailand, Cai Qi was missing.
In the recent “Comprehensive Rule of Law” work conference, Xi Jinping did not personally attend as he did five years ago; instead, Ding Xuexiang conveyed his “important instructions.”
Commentator Mei Lingshuang wrote that on the surface, the official Chinese media reports showed the appropriate respect for Xi Jinping. However, if compared to a similar conference held five years ago, when Xi attached great importance to the conference, all members of the Politburo Standing Committee were present, and it was significant, while in this recent conference Xi was absent, with only two Standing Committee members participating, and the concluding remarks were given by a regular Political Bureau member, revealing the downgraded nature of the conference.
Mei Lingshuang questioned why Xi Jinping was absent from this important meeting. Was it a deliberate decision or due to circumstances beyond his control? Was it because of health issues or other reasons?