Xi Jinping faction


The Xi Jinping faction, also referred to as the Xi Clan, is a term used by political analysts to describe a network of officials within the Chinese Communist Party closely associated with General Secretary Xi Jinping.
The faction encompasses officials who advanced their political careers under Xi's patronage during his earlier leadership tenures in various provinces. Those who served under Xi during his time as Party Secretary of Zhejiang are often referred to as the New Zhijiang Army, while those with prior affiliations to Xi from his period in Fujian are collectively known as the Fujian clique.

New Zhijiang Army

The "new army" refers to people who were closely associated with Xi during his tenure in Zhejiang and identify with his political views, and who have since then taken on prominent political posts at the provincial level or in central party and state organs.
The term was first widely used by Ma Haoliang, editor at Hong Kong-based newspaper Ta Kung Pao in an article entitled the New Zhijiang Army of Chinese Politics. The term Zhijiang refers to the Qiantang River, which runs through the province, but is often used as a poetic reference for the greater Zhejiang region. The term was initially used as title to Xi Jinping's book Zhijiang Xinyu, a book compiling the political philosophies of Xi Jinping during his five-year term as party chief of Zhejiang, published in 2007.
NameBornOffice held in Zhejiang during Xi's termOffice held at present
Cai Qi
蔡奇		December 1955Party Secretary of Quzhou, Party Secretary of TaizhouFirst-ranked Secretary of the CCP Secretariat
Huang Kunming
黄坤明		November 1956Mayor of Huzhou
Party Secretary of Jiaxing		Party Secretary of Guangdong province
Chen Derong
陈德荣		March 1961Mayor of JiaxingChief executive of China Baowu Steel Group
Bayanqolu
巴音朝鲁		October 1955Party Secretary of Ningbo
Lou Yangsheng
楼阳生		October 1959Party Secretary of LishuiParty Secretary of Henan province
Xia Baolong
夏宝龙		December 1952Deputy Party Secretary of ZhejiangVice Chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference
Li Qiang
李强		July 1959Secretary-General of Zhejiang Party CommitteePremier of the People's Republic of China
Chen Min'er
陈敏尔		September 1960Head of Zhejiang provincial party Propaganda DepartmentParty Secretary of Chongqing
Ying Yong
应勇		November 1957Director of Supervision Department, Zhejiang
President of Zhejiang High Court
Deputy Secretary of Zhejiang Discipline Inspection Commission		Deputy Prosecutor-General of the Supreme People's Procuratorate
Zhong Shaojun
钟绍军		1968Deputy Head of the Organization Department of Zhejiang Party CommitteeLieutenant general of the People's Liberation Army
Director of the General Office of the Central Military Commission
Li Xi
李希		1956Secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection
Chen Xi
陈希		September 1953President of the Central Party School
He Lifeng
何立峰		February 1955Vice Premier of the People's Republic of China
Shu Guozeng
舒国增		1956

Fujian clique

The Fujian clique refers to a group of Chinese politicians closely allied with Xi, who developed this network of trusted allies during his time in Fujian from 1985 to 2002 and has appointed them to influential roles and positions within Chinese politics since he became leader of China, particularly within the military and police. The Fujian clique is one of the two most important political groupings in the Xi administration alongside the New Zhijiang Army.
Other politicians have been named by Chinese-language media as associates of Xi Jinping. They have known or worked under him as a result of their regional tenures in Shaanxi province, the southeast, or through Tsinghua University, where Xi spent time in his youth. Those named include Wang Qishan, Li Zhanshu, Liu He, Chen Xi, He Yiting, Wang Xiaohong, Li Shulei, and Huang Xingguo. In the military, Liu Yuan, Zhang Youxia, and Liu Yazhou have been named as some of Xi's top associates.