China's Leaders Head to the Beach
Selecting the Next Standing Committee in Beidaihe
July 30, 2012
Christopher K. Johnson
Summary:
Chinese leaders are preparing for a once-in-a-decade turnover in leadership. But unlike past transitions, today there are no respected elders to mediate among the communist party's squabbling cliques. This time, jockeying for powerful positions in the new Politburo's lineup could be more combative. And with the leadership preoccupied, policy confusion has become the order of the day.
A soldier on a private beach reserved for government officials in the resort of Beidaihe. (Courtesy Reuters)