Chinese Premier Gains New Role as Xi Consolidates His Dictatorship

Delegates arrive to the fifth plenary session of the National People's Congress in Beijing, China on March 12, 2023. Lintao Zhang/Getty Images

News Analysis

Since Chinese Premier Li Qiang assumed office last March, the State Council’s function has been reset to serve Chinese leader Xi Jinping as a loyal executor of his will. In the country’s annual Two Sessions this week, not only was the conventional premier’s press conference canceled, but the government work report was drafted directly following Xi’s directive. Furthermore, safeguarding Xi Jinping’s core leadership became the highest principle in the amendment of the State Council Organization Law.

Critics perceive this as Xi’s intent to consolidate, institutionalize, and even legalize his personal authoritarianism. However, it’s experts say that Xi’s hasty power grip could provoke internal crises and hasten the regime’s downfall.

Xi, The Core Leader

During the press conference held before the Two Sessions, it was announced that the State Council Organization Law would be revised to align with “Xi Jinping’s thoughts on the rule of law”. This move aims to uphold the paramount political principle of defending “central authority and centralized, unified leadership of CCP”.

During the 1980s, the CCP emphasized collective leadership and the separation of party and government, leading to significant autonomy and influence for the State Council. Former Premiers like Li Peng, Zhu Rongji, and Wen Jiabao held substantial decision-making authority, particularly in economy and welfare.

Lai Jianping, a former Beijing lawyer, said the revised State Council Organization Law reveals that the State Council, with Li Qiang as Xi Jinping’s servant, has become a secretariat to safeguard Xi Jinping’s personal dictatorship.

“The revised version effectively establishes Xi Jinping’s sole dictatorship in a legal sense,” said Mr. Lai.

Li Hengqing, a Washington-based China expert, said the revision signifies how the CCP’s rubber-stamp legislature merely echoes Xi’s directives.

A human rights activist, Sheng Xue, commented that Xi’s power grip has reached an “extremely pathological level.” The purpose of Xi revising the law is to “underscore that the State Council is also under his sole authority,” she said.

A Prescribed Script

The State Council’s work report was formulated to “deliver directives from the Party Central Committee with Xi at its core,” introduced Huang Shouhong, the lead drafter of the work report. He said this year’s work report presented the most distinguished feature by “accurately aligning its political positioning and fully implementing the decision-making arrangements.”

Mr. Lai interpreted his remarks as the diminishing role of Premier Li, and all decisions are ultimately subject to Xi’s approval.

“Li Qiang could only recite what he was told to say rather than expressing his own thoughts. The Party Central Committee dictates the content of his speech, and he might not fully comprehend its significance,” said Mr. Lai.

The Diminution of Premier

When China announced the traditional premier’s press conference after the Two Sessions to be forever canceled, it stirred up a storm of public opinion.

Ms. Sheng believed it could be the intention of both Xi and Li. “Li Qiang is acutely aware of how he attained his position, and out of a sense of fear, he might try to avoid standing out. However, Xi Jinping precisely does not want others to outshine him,” she said.

“Canceling the Prime Minister’s press conference is equivalent to canceling the Prime Minister’s right to speak,” said Mr. Lai. “Although Li Qiang declared the State Council to be the party’s loyal executive organ when he took office, its political status has now been further reduced, and it has become a vassal of party power.”

Mr. Li commented, “Li Qiang is effectively diminishing his own power... to ensure that the top leader has complete trust and confidence in him in order to survive.”

Short Lifespan of Extreme Authoritarian

Critics believe the dynamics of the Beijing top echelons’ power struggles during the Two Sessions and Xi’s extreme centralization of power will accelerate the downfall of the Communist regime.

Mr. Lai said Xi’s extreme personal dictatorship would further lead to a dire situation for China’s economy, livelihood, governance, and foreign affairs.

He said, “Particularly, there may be a larger-scale regression in economic and livelihood conditions, leading to societal collapse. Many people will struggle to even meet their basic needs, and ultimately, countless individuals will rise up and say no. This will inevitably spark some form of revolution to overthrow Xi Jinping’s one-man dictatorship.”

Ms. Sheng stated that the reform and opening up in the late 1970s, when the regime’s dictatorship was on the brink of collapse, caused the misconception that the CCP was no longer as dictatorial as during the Mao Zedong era. However, in reality, the communist nature has never changed, which is why Xi was able to quickly resort to individual dictatorship and tyranny like his predecessor.

She believes Xi’s actions are shortening the lifespan of the CCP’s authoritarian regime.

“As he further advances towards personal authoritarianism, dissenting voices against him will inevitably increase, accelerating the downfall of the CCP,” stated Ms. Sheng.

Ning Haizhong and Li Yun contributed to this report.