Shanghai clique

The Shanghai clique or Shanghai faction (zh-cp|c=上海帮|p=Shànghǎi Bāng) is the name given to an informal group of officials in the Communist Party of China, especially those who serve in the central government of the People's Republic of China or the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, who rose to prominence in connection to the Shanghai municipal administration under former President Jiang Zemin (江泽民). It also includes other former subordinates of Jiang.

This popular phrase was used somewhat pejoratively to describe Jiang's efforts to promote people who previously worked, or were associated with, his administration in Shanghai.

Membership

Important members of the clique include incumbent standing members of the powerful Politburo of the CPC Central Committee.

*Wu Bangguo (吳邦國)
*Jia Qinglin (贾庆林)
*Zeng Qinghong (曾庆红)
*Wu Guanzheng (吳官正)
*Li Changchun (李長春)
*Liu Qi (刘琪)
*Zeng Peiyan (曾培炎)
*Zhang Dejiang (张德江)
*Zhou Yongkang (周永康)
*Liu Yunshan (刘云山)
*Hui Liangyu (回良玉)
*Hua Jianmin (华建敏)
*Chen Zhili (陈至立)
*Chen Liangyu (陈良宇), expelled from Communist Party due to scandal

Before his death, Huang Ju (黄菊) was also a key member of the clique.

President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao are not members of the clique.

Upon Jiang's retirement in 2003-4, it is widely believed that he stuffed the cabinet with all his men, and is said to be making it difficult for Hu and Wen to carry out their own policies. The best evidence of this is in the recently concluded 5th Plenary Meeting of 16th National Congress of the CPC, when Hu's efforts to reshuffle the politburo was blocked by members of the Shanghai Clique. Wen's macro-economic measures aimed at slowing down infrastructure growth and nationwide overheating in the property sector received great resistance from alleged members of this clique.

However, as Jiang has now retired from all of his positions at the 4th Plenary Meeting of 16th National Congress of the CPC, Hu is now the legitimate paramount leader of the CPC. There are signs of important members of the Shanghai Clique defecting to Hu's camp, thereby strengthening Hu's position. In addition, in a bold move in September 2006, Hu acted to purge prominent rival Chen Liangyu, former Mayor of Shanghai, for alleged corruption, thus strengthening his position both within the party and in China [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/5376858.stm BBC] article "Top China leader fired for graft" published September 25, 2006] .

ee also

* Politics of the People's Republic of China
* Seventeenth National Congress of the Communist Party of China
* Tsinghua clique

References