Zeng Qinghong Steps Down As China's Vice-President

Vice-President Zeng Qinghong is one of the three most senior leaders of China that have stepped down from office. They were dropped from the central committee of the Communist Party after its five-yearly progress.

The announcement of the three most senior leaders looks to be the first step of the reshuffling of the Chinese government. It looks that this is in favor for a new generation of leaders with a fresh insight on China’s path to the future. The three men including Zeng Qinghong cannot be elected to the standing committee on Monday, October 22. The nine-members that make up the central committee is the supreme decision making body. That means all decisions regarding China’s politics have to go through the committee. They are looking for four new members. Huang Ju had died during the summer making his seat vacant. With the death of Huang Ju and the dropping of the three senior leaders, there will be four positions available. It says that this will be the presage on who will take over when President Hu Jintao leaves office in five years in the year of 2012. Zeng Qinghong was a close ally to Jiang Zemin the former President of China. He is a child of revolutionaries that fought for the Communist Party. Qinghong’s father Zeng Shan was a veteran of the Red Army and became Shanghai’s vice-mayor in 1949 before being the China’s minister of internal affairs in 1960. At the same time, his mother Deng Liuqin would be in charge of East China Kindergarten. This would be the school where children of senior officials attended. Despite stepping down, Zeng Qinghong very much as a long resume in his political career. He’ll probably leave behind a legacy in China’s modern history. Perhaps Qinghong will continue to be active in China’s politics after stepping down as vice-president.