The Chinese Communist Party’s Politburo recently discussed the “Regulations on the Work of Central Decision-making and Coordination Mechanisms,” sparking widespread debate. Since Xi Jinping took office, he has significantly increased or reorganized a number of such mechanisms and personally taken on leadership roles, earning him the nickname “Comprehensive Chairman” by foreign media. Experts point out that these mechanisms have caused various chaotic situations, leading to ineffective governance under Xi’s leadership. The authorities are inept at managing national affairs and people’s livelihoods, engaging in foolish actions that signal the decline of the regime.
On June 30, according to an official notice from the Chinese Communist Party, the Politburo held a meeting to discuss the “Regulations on the Work of Central Decision-making and Coordination Mechanisms.” The meeting emphasized the promotion of “top-level design and coordinated planning” for major initiatives, ensuring that there’s “coordination without substitution and positioning without overstepping.”
Public information reveals that the so-called “Central Decision-making and Coordination Mechanisms” consist of over ten central committees or leadership groups directly under Xi Jinping’s purview, including the Deep Reform Commission, National Security Commission, Economic and Financial Commission, Foreign Affairs Commission, Audit Commission, and Organizational Structure Commission.
In fact, the Central Organizational Structure Commission formulated its work regulations in 2019, while the work regulations for the Central Foreign Affairs Commission were established in 2023. Why then the need to institute regulations for the vague concept of “Central Decision-making and Coordination Mechanisms”?
Legal expert Yuan Hongbing, residing in Australia, told Epoch Times that when Xi Jinping took power, he aimed to weaken the State Council and diminish the authority of Premier Li Keqiang. He set up a series of working groups, mostly led by himself, in order to strengthen the so-called central leadership of the party. However, this led to chaos in the decision-making process, causing the entire Chinese state apparatus to malfunction and putting Xi Jinping in a great crisis.
“Almost all these working groups are headed by Xi himself, under his direct command and control. This abnormal decision-making system has significantly weakened the regime’s ability to make decisions because of the lack of coordination between the various groups,” Yuan said.
Yuan Hongbing pointed out that although officials dare not voice doubts, in this system, all officials basically become two-faced individuals, passive and conformist. Xi’s governance errors have already been exposed to the Chinese people.
He believes that under the authoritarian rule of the Chinese Communist Party, it is completely impossible for Xi Jinping to solve fundamental crises by changing a coordination mechanism.
On July 3, veteran commentator Yan Chungou posted on Facebook an article titled “What are the ‘Central Decision-making and Coordination Mechanisms’ of the Chinese Communist Party?”
The article argues that the so-called “Central Decision-making and Coordination Mechanisms” refer to the various committees directly under the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee established over time. These were originally political ploys by Xi Jinping to directly control the various ministries and commissions of the State Council, effectively rendering Premier Li Keqiang powerless while turning the State Council into an executive body. However, since these committees were mostly overseen by Xi Jinping himself, why the need for work regulations for these “decision-making and coordination mechanisms”? Let these committees grab power as they please.
The article suggests that these committees have been interfering in the work of various ministries of the State Council since their establishment, leading to numerous issues. Ministries realize they have no decision-making power and must wait for directives from the committees, therefore opting for a passive approach. Hence, there is a need for work regulations to clarify responsibilities to prevent neglect of government affairs. Essentially, Xi Jinping creates problems and then attempts to solve them.
Critics question the Politburo’s definition of these committees as “decision-making and coordination” mechanisms, needing to both make decisions and discuss policies while coordinating cooperation between different departments. With different layers of leadership constantly engaging in discussions on national affairs, why establish a specific mechanism for this purpose?
Furthermore, as for coordination, why can’t the State Council coordinate among its subordinate ministries without the intervention of the committees? Moreover, the notion of “coordination without substitution and positioning without overstepping” seems absurd. If there is a responsibility for coordination, it naturally involves substituting for the ministries, demanding their cooperation; otherwise, how can coordination be achieved? As for “positioning without overstepping,” once in position, there should be no issue of overstepping. By not overstepping, how can one lead and coordinate effectively?
Yan Chungou believes that Xi Jinping’s power struggles and manipulations within the party, government, and military not only create problems for himself but also reflect his character flaws and intellectual limitations. Facing domestic and international crises in recent years, Xi seems lost and resorts to prohibitions and work regulations. By engaging in foolish acts and showing incompetence in national governance, this is a sign of a regime’s decay.