Meet Cai Qi, China's second most powerful personality; Xi Jinping's trusted authoritative leader
Cai Qi's recent rise in the political arena of China has surprised many including the top leaders in the Chinese Communist Party. The 68-year-old is the only leader outside Xi's immediate family to have direct access. The influence and political clout of Cai Qi are at an all-time high in Beijing.
FollowCai Qi is witnessing an unusual clout in the political arena of China which even top leaders have failed to garner. China President Xi Jinping is a very personal leader who views everyone around him with a suspicious lens due to insecurity of power. Not even a handful of people in the Communist Party of China have direct access to Xi Jinping. But beating the odds in an unusual way, Cai Qi has access to the President and also has the sway to influence the decisions of Xi.
It is a rarity that Xi Jinping trusts someone outside his family so well. The transition that Cai Qi has seen in the political arena in just a few years has happened for the first time since Mao Zedong’s tenure at the helm. Cai Qi is the only leader to hold two important posts at the same time showcasing the amount of trust that the Chinese President bestows. Cai Qi is a member of the seven-man politburo committee that makes almost all the significant decisions. He is also Xi Jinping’s chief of staff.
Cai Qi is also the only member of the all-powerful Politburo committee to accompany Xi Jinping on overseas trips. Not only this, the 68-year-old has also started accompanying the Chinese President in vital meetings with foreign leaders. Cai Qi was present with Xi when the meeting with US President Joe Biden took place. The leader also took part in meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.
Xi Jinping and Cai Qi have known each other since 1980 when they met each other in Fujian Province. Their paths continued to cross even in the Zhejiang province. Colleagues of Cai Qi from Zhejiang province described the leader as approachable and intelligent. Cai Qi for the longest time in his political career advocated for transparency and public supervision of the government.
However, his core principles vanished when Xi Jinping assumed the leadership role. Once a vocal voice on social media, Cai Qi has now become a stern voice of the CCP. He was the leader who implemented strong restrictions in Beijing when the nation was battling with COVID-19 crisis. Cai Qi was also one of the earliest to publicly compare Xi Jinping with Mao Zedong. This also resulted in rewards and promotions for China's now second-most powerful personality.
