Elite Chinese Politics and Political Economy

Some of you may be looking for some commentaries on last week's central finance work conference. Unfortunately, if I give you the full spiel, an organization who paid "okay" money (short of good....) for an in-depth analysis might be a bit miffed. But, I simply cannot refrain from pointing out that HUANG JU WAS NOT EVEN AT THE MEETING! Huang Ju, as you remember, headed the Leading Group on State Banking Reform, which basically put him in charge of the entire financial industry in China. However, he was not even there. The only PSC member in attendance was Wen Jiabao. State Councilor Hua Jianmin also put in an appearance. Rumors have it that Huang was "sick" again, but we have all seen Huang's amazing capacity to appear in public despite illness. Clearly, he has been sidelined as the financial czar of China due to the Shanghai scandals. However, Jiang continues to have some cloute in the matter since the person aiding Wen in the financial sector is none other than State Councilor Hua Jianmin, a close lieutenant of Jiang and Huang from their Shanghai days.

What else: eh, restructuring the Agricultural Bank while calling it to increase its effort to support the policy missions of "three agriculture" sounds a bit self-contradictory.....

Oh, and they (meaning the party) passed a verdict on former NBS chief Qiu Xiaohua. Thus far, kicked out of party and government, as well as the CPPCC--then jail terms likely.....poor Qiu.

中央电视台“新闻联播”今天（1月23日） 披露了对国家统计局原局长邱晓华的查处结果。最近，中央纪委监察部严肃查处了邱晓华严重违纪案件。经查，邱晓华在任国家统计局领导职务期间，收受不法企业 主所送现金；生活腐化堕落，涉嫌重婚犯罪。中央电视台称，邱晓华身为党的高级领导干部，丧失党性原则，收受现金，道德败坏，涉嫌重婚犯罪，其行为严重违反 了党纪政纪和法律，造成了恶劣的社会政治影响，必须依纪依法严肃处理。根据《中国共产党纪律处分条例》、《中华人民共和国公务员法》的有关规定，经中央纪 委审议并报中共中央批准，决定给予邱晓华开除党籍处分；经监察部报请国务院批准，决定给予邱晓华行政开除处分；建议依法撤销其全国政协委员资格。对其涉嫌 犯罪问题移送司法机关依法处理。