Guangdong Party boss Hu Chunhua headed for the top? – China’s latest political and current affairs news

Hu Chunhua 胡春华 is the media-shy leader of China’s southern economic powerhouse, Guangdong Province. For nearly four years, he has been Party Secretary there — a coveted position that can be a stepping stone to national leadership. Reuters has a report on Hu:

• Sun Zhengcai 孙政才, a regional competitor to Hu for national promotions, was removed from his powerful position as Party boss in the megalopolis of Chongqing on July 17.
• Though neither Sun nor Hu are considered part of the “New Zhijiang Army,” a group of long-time allies of President Xi Jinping, Hu’s low profile and high performance bode well for him — Xi gave “full approval” to the Guangdong government’s work in April, Reuters notes.
• “Hu Chunhua’s credentials are the deepest of the sixth generation,” a source with ties to the Chinese leadership told Reuters, speaking of a group of politicians born in the 1960s and now nearing the peak of their career. “Unless Hu Chunhua commits serious mistakes, Xi has no reason not to let him move up.”

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