China: President Shuffles the Deck, Again

Leadership shakeups within the Chinese Communist Party have claimed another top official. Under President Xi Jinping, the party abruptly replaced on July 15 Sun Zhengcai, a longtime leadership candidate from the party's sixth generation of prospects, saying he was under investigation for allegedly violating party regulations, according to Chinese state media. Appointed by former President Hu Jintao, Sun was the youngest member of the party's Politburo, was the Communist Party chief of Chongqing, and was once considered a potential successor to Xi. The party subsequently promoted Chen Min'er, a confidant of Xi, to the Chongqing party secretary post, likely cementing a Politburo post for him ahead of the coming leadership transition, slated for October or early November....