Jiang plans to trim Politburo

By Willy Wo-Lap Lam
CNN Senior China Analyst

Zeng Qinghong is slated to become Secretary-General of the Congress presidium

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BEIJING, China (CNN) -- Chinese President Jiang Zemin is maneuvering to have the membership of the Communist Party Politburo reduced from 21 to just 17.

This will have the effect of boosting the proportion of Politburo members who come from the Jiang or Shanghai faction.

The line-up for major bodies including the Central Committee and the Politburo will be decided at the 16th party Congress, which opens in Beijing on Friday.

While in theory new Central Committee or Politburo members are voted into office by the 2010 delegates, much depends on behind-the-scenes maneuvers by party leaders such as Jiang.

Party sources said Jiang's ability to control the congress' outcome was assured because key protégé Zeng Qinghong was slated to become the secretary-general of the Congress presidium, which controls the agenda for the week-long conclave.

Moreover, the new Director of the party's Organization Department, He Guoqiang and the new head of propaganda, Liu Yushan, are likely to become vice secretary-generals for the presidium.

Both He and Liu are deemed to be close to Zeng, Jiang's chief political strategist.

Diplomatic analysts said the latest projections were that Jiang and Zeng would be able to induct as many as 11 or 12 Jiang faction affiliates to the Politburo.

They include former senior Shanghai cadres Zeng Qinghong, Wu Bangguo, Huang Ju, and Chen Liangyu; provincial cadres loyal to Jiang such as Jia Qinglin, Li Changchun and Hui Liangyu; State Council ministers Zeng Peiyan and Chen Zhili; and military officers Generals Cao Gangchuan and Guo Boxiong.

Moreover, rising stars such as organization chief He and propaganda tsar Liu may also acquire Politburo status.

The analysts said the proportion of Jiang protégés in the Politburo would be enhanced if its membership were to shrink from the usual 21 to 17.

The Congress will also affirm Jiang's contributions to economic and political reform in his 13-year tenure.

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