Strengths and advantages

The six paths to promotion cover all the principal roads to political power in China. The group promoted via government organs is the biggest, making up a third of the total. These officials are familiar with government decision-making processes and have good connections in government circles.

Officials promoted from universities and research institutes also make up a large proportion of the group. Professionals and scholars gaining access to high-level party and state organs should, in theory, bring more theoretical knowledge to the job and lead to more rational policy making.

Officials selected from the executives of major enterprise will bring their profound knowledge of economics and the market to government's economic policy-making. Their role will be crucial.

Officials originating from the Communist Youth League system account for only 7 percent. Their strengths are their familiarity with the operations of government and their good connections with top leaders.

In short, the next generation of leading officials at the provincial and ministerial levels has been selected from various channels, broadly in line with the multi-channel selection of officials in western countries. Choosing leaders from varied backgrounds should help maintain the vitality of the senior leadership at both central and provincial levels.

(China.org.cn by Wang Zhiyong, July 2, 2008)