The change in CCP leaders since Li Peng (李鹏) (Chinese Communism after Mao and Deng – Part 3)

From the second and third generation CCP leaders onwards, many new leaders have emerged who joined the party not for idealistic purpose, but to pursue their personal agenda and interests. As such, there is an evidently growing trend in the CCP becoming a bureaucratic interest elite group that focuses a lot on material wellbeing.

Even though the radical shift in the CCP took place during Jiang Zemin’s （江泽民） era, but transformation truly began since Li Peng’s (李鹏) days. Li’s father Li Shuoxun (李硕勋) was a true idealist, but he became a martyr at an early age. As such, Li grew up in an environment protected by the senior members of the CCP and was known as the offspring of a revolutionary hero. However, in contrast to his hero father, Li was more of an opportunist than a worshipper of communism.

During the early 80s, Li capitalized on the people’s respect of Zhou Enlai (周恩来) and hence created an impression that he was the foster son of Zhou. While Deng Yingchao (邓颖超) knows the truth, he decided to keep quiet out of a desire to protect Li. As a result, Li had a radical career progress. From a junior cadre in Beijing’s Electric Department, he was quickly promoted to the Electric Ministry minister and the country’s education chief. He eventually became the State Council Prime Minister. After the passing away from Deng, Zhou’s real foster children emerged to reveal that truth about Li’s claim of relationship to Zhou. However, his real foster mother was indeed a revolutionary veteran – Shuai Mengqi (帅孟奇).

In comparison to his predecessors Zhao Ziyang (赵紫阳) and Zhu Rongji (朱镕基), Li appeared pale in comparison. To make things worse, not long after he became the premier, he was loaded with the notorious title of a butler due to the 1989 Tiananmen Massacre Incident. At the same time, during Li’s reign, Li’s eldest son Li Xiaopeng (李小鹏) and daughter Li Xiaolin (李小琳) were appointed influential positions in the Power Industry where Li served previously as minister. Li’s youngest son Li Xiaoyong (李小勇), on the other hand, developed his career overseas. According to political observers, the latter migrated to Singapore in 1994 and purchased several luxury properties there. In 1998, he was involved in a 500 million RMB scandal and hence since disappeared from public eyes. The victim of this case even proceeded to protest in Beijing and wanted Li to make good the sum that Li Xiaoyong supposedly misappropriated, but was ignored.

Currently, Li Xiaopeng has given up his business career to enter politics, holding the position of Shanxi Province (山西省) Vice Governor. Li Xiaolin, on the other hand, is now the Chairman of Hong Kong listed company CLP Power International Group.

As such, some observers felt that the change in nature of the CCP began with Li Peng.

(………… coming up next: The era of Jiang Zemin’s utilitarianism……………..)