Overview

• On June 30, Xi chaired a Communist Party Political Bureau meeting to approve new regulations standardizing decision-making and coordinating bodies
• Xi stayed out of public view from May 21 to June 5 and missed the BRICS summit in Rio, prompting conjecture about his future role
• Premier Li Qiang led China’s delegation to the Rio summit, reflecting Xi’s growing delegation of day-to-day responsibilities
• Senior People’s Liberation Army figures including CMC Vice Chairman He Weidong and Admiral Miao Hua were recently removed in a high-profile military leadership overhaul
• Reports indicate former Hu Jintao allies such as General Zhang Youxia and technocrat Wang Yang are gaining influence within the party