20250408 CUC main Zeng Qinghong Hu Jintao Xi Jinping

Former Chinese Vice President Zeng Qinghong, left, former President Hu Jintao and President Xi Jinping have all served as president of the Central Party School and guided the same protege. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by Kyodo, Mizuho Miyazaki, Akira Kodaka, Yusuke Hinata)

Analysis: Xi Jinping kicks off a factional battle for survival

Party elders' influence glimmers behind unusual personnel reshuffle

KATSUJI NAKAZAWA

April 10, 2025 04:00 JST

Katsuji Nakazawa is a Tokyo-based senior staff and editorial writer at Nikkei. He spent seven years in China as a correspondent and later as China bureau chief. He was the 2014 recipient of the Vaughn-Ueda International Journalist prize.

The starting gun has sounded, and members of Chinese leader Xi Jinping's political faction are running a race for political survival.