Certain to remain on the Politburo, Ding’s quest to reach the Standing Committee will depend on the results of political infighting between rival cliques.
Zhao Kezhi’s Legacy Could Define China’s Regional Security Paradigm
The 20th Party Congress will mark the end of Zhao’s CCP career, but his internal affairs policy will continue.
April 12, 2021
Chinese State Councillor and Minister of Public Security Zhao Kezhi calling on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on October 23, 2018.
Credit: Indian Prime Minister’s Office
Advertisement
Zhao Kezhi enjoyed a fortuitous run through the gauntlet of the mini-purge political cleanup at the end of the first Xi administration in 2016. As minister of public security, Zhao is now head of a strengthened internal security apparatus for the second purge ahead of a probable third Xi term. But Zhao’s legacy will not be one of personal luck and a happy career. The legacy he passes on will shape the domestic security apparatus for the 2022-2032 period.