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A Study of Career Networks and the Geographical Characteristics of CCP's Top Political and Military Positions

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 May 2017

SHYH-CHYANG LIN
SHYH-CHYANG LIN*
Affiliation:
Department of Civil Engineering and Engineering Management at theNational Quemoy University, Taiwansclin@nqu.edu.tw
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Abstract

This research study attempts to map out the career network of selected members from the Politburo and Central Military Commission (CMC) of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), by adopting social network analysis techniques, calculating various network indices, and quantifying the value and importance of each position. The purpose of this research is to uncover the crucial positions leading to the CCP's political and military power center, as well as to how these positions interrelate. The results show the following. First, in the Jiang Zemin era (Jiang's era), Politburo members were mainly promoted from the central party committee or Central Government. Secondly, in the Hu Jintao era (Hu's era), key members from administrative regions started to step into the power center. Third, in the era of Xi Jinping (Xi's era), most Politburo members were promoted directly from administrative regions, especially from the coastal areas, such as Shanghai and Guangdong province. The research also indicates that being a military commander for Military Regions appears to provide experience necessary for promotion, whilst being an officer at the central military departments, such as a (Deputy) Chief General of Staff or Commander of Armed Services, is considered a major stepping stone. Although the succession trend defined by the innovative analysis of this research might not match the fixed model used by the CCP for its succession plan, under the circumstances of probable further institutionalization of the CCP, a quantified analysis of network position could be considered a more promising method of prediction.

Type
Research Article
Information
Japanese Journal of Political Science , Volume 18 , Issue 2 , June 2017 , pp. 336 - 359
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2017 

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