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According to Xinhua News Agency, the CCP Central Politburo reviewed and established the "Party Central Decision-Making Deliberation and Coordination Mechanism" on June 30, setting up a "Party Central Decision-Making Deliberation and Coordination Institution" (hereafter: the coordination institution). Xinhua stated that the coordination institution "holds important significance for effectively fulfilling the functions of top-level design, overall coordination, comprehensive advancement, and supervision of implementation for major work," and that the institution should "improve the quality and effectiveness of decision-making deliberation, and propose practical and effective policy measures."
Former National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference member Dr Liu Mengxiong pointed out on Commercial Radio's "Summit" programme on July 8 that the significance of this move is "extraordinary and highly significant," urging Hong Kong people at home and abroad to closely monitor developments.
Liu: Central leadership's different factions have noticed current internal and external problems, new institution's power ranks above the Central Politburo
China has faced major challenges in recent years in both domestic and foreign affairs, including deteriorating China-US relations and a wave of private enterprise closures. Facing such changes, Liu Mengxiong said: "The newly established coordination institution certainly reflects problems with the original domestic and foreign policy guidelines." He further noted that "there are also different factions within the CCP who, seeing changes in the current situation, will consider how to preserve the red regime and consolidate power, which is why these changes have emerged."
Within the current CCP power structure, the top level already includes 24 members of the Central Politburo, including seven Standing Committee members including Xi Jinping. Regarding whether the new institution's power ranks above or below the current Central Politburo, Liu Mengxiong said: "The new institution's power is certainly positioned above the Politburo. The Party Central already has the Central Politburo and different working groups. If the new institution's power were positioned below the Central Politburo, there would be no necessity for its establishment."
Liu Mengxiong predicts: Heavyweight figures outside Central Politburo to join coordination institution, decision-making returns to collective leadership
Host Feng Zhizheng also asked: Economic and livelihood problems can be addressed through policy adjustments, proposing new programmes, or even changing direction through personnel appointments. Personnel changes in the Politburo have been common in recent years. Why not adopt policy and personnel measures this time, but instead propose institutional reform? Liu Mengxiong responded that "the new coordination institution has emerged from nowhere, claiming to improve the Party Central's centralised and unified leadership over major work, which shows that the current system is not sufficiently robust."
When asked about personnel selection for the new coordination institution, Liu Mengxiong responded: "The new institution's level is certainly above the Politburo. [Its members] will certainly include existing Politburo members, but certainly will not be limited to Politburo members. External candidates will be added, and those joining the new coordination institution will all be heavyweight figures, demonstrating that the Party Central is adapting to circumstances and making adjustments."
Liu Mengxiong also posted on Facebook on June 30: "Major signal!! The CCP Politburo meeting established the Party Central Decision-Making Deliberation and Coordination Institution, unprecedented, decision-making power has been pulled back to the collective leadership system, overriding the Party Secretary and Politburo."
