Key facts
- Cai Qi appointed head of the Central Party School.
- Cai Qi replaces Chen Xi in the role.
- The Central Party School trains senior Chinese officials and shapes party ideology.
- Cai Qi is a member of the Politburo Standing Committee and Xi Jinping's chief of staff.
Senior Chinese Communist Party official Cai Qi has been appointed as the head of the party's elite central party school, according to state broadcaster CCTV. Cai, 70, who is President Xi Jinping's de facto chief of staff and heads the Communist Party Central Committee's general office, is among China's most powerful officials as a member of the seven-member Politburo Standing Committee. He replaces Chen Xi, 72, who had retired from his role as head of the Organization Department in 2023. The central party school, located in Beijing, is the premier institution for training senior Chinese officials and shaping party ideology. Both Xi Jinping and Hu Jintao served as head of the school before becoming top leaders. Cai Qi, the fifth-ranked member in the Communist Party's hierarchy, has been picked to head the Central Party School, the top training ground for cadres. Cai sits on the elite Politburo Standing Committee and is secretary of the party's secretariat as well as director of the party's general office. Responsible for daily operations of the party's nerve centre, Cai is often referred to as President Xi Jinping's chief of staff. His new post at the party school means that he will also oversee the training of senior Chinese officials and the shaping of party ideology. Analysts believe this appointment solidifies his position as Xi's closest ally and places nearly the entire communist party portfolio under one Standing Committee member, a configuration not seen before. Professor Jean Christopher Mittelstaedt noted that with this appointment, Cai combines the Party's organizational, doctrinal, and administrative functions under one Standing Committee member, stating there is no precedent for this. He also commented that Xi is tying Cai to the future of the party, indicating the highest stakes and trust.