beijing president xi jinping china expect place trust ally communist party key decision-making politburo leadership reshuffle 19th party congress autumn accord multiple chinese source foreign diplomats key measure xi power many ally instal 25-member committee least 10 politburo members slat retire due unwritten rule politicians step 68 old take new five-year term young politburo member sun zhengcai 53 run serve chongqing party boss put investigation july disciplinary violations communist party jargon corruption fate top corruption watchdog wang qishan 69 also subject widespread conjecture unclear retain seat elite seven-member politburo stand committee despite age therefore spot wide politburo state council information office double spokesman office cabinet party decline comment politburo candidates reach telephone fax possible newcomers politburo among xi ally surnames alphabetical order cai qi 61 enjoy meteoric rise xi consider shoo-in name party boss beijing may despite full alternate member wide central committee since 1987 whoever hold office beijing party chief also politburo member cai overlap xi future president 17-year stint southeastern province fujian eastern coastal province zhejiang xi party boss 2002 2007. cai native fujian chen miner 56 see perform strongly leader guizhou province name party boss southwestern metropolis chongqing july 15 replace sun chen native zhejiang also virtually assure seat politburo give position chongqing source say chen dark horse candidate catapult straight onto stand committee chen quanguo 61 promote party chief restive far-western region xinjiang bring along tough ethnic management policies implement previous post tibet chen never work closely xi chen xi 64 month native fujian tip promote minister party organization department oversee promotion deployment party officials currently vice-minister department chen share dormitory xi two attend prestigious tsinghua university late 1970s ding xuexiang 55 month likely become director general office central committee currently general office oversee day-to-day operations politburo ding work xi latter party boss shanghai lifeng 62 chairman cabinet national development reform commission strong candidate become one five state councillors rank cabinet minister vice premier name one four vice premier next march would favorite politburo work fujian 1984 2009 overlap xi governor 2000 2002. huang kunming 60 native fujian front-runner become party propaganda minister currently vice-minister follow xi fujian zhejiang li hongzhong 61 party secretary northern port city tianjin never work xi previously ardent supporter xi policies li qiang 58 native zhejiang currently party boss eastern coastal province jiangsu li xi right-hand man xi party boss zhejiang li xi 60 currently party chief northeastern province liaoning see line promotion head big province work xi home province shaanxi china northwest liu 65 xi key economic advisor strong candidate become state councilor vice premier then-u.s. national security adviser tom donilon visit beijing 2013 xi introduce liu important accord wall street journal liu hold master degree public administration harvard university kennedy school government xingrui 57 chief engineer china lunar program governor guangdong province one two candidates party secretary top post boom southern region successful would assure politburo seat wang xiaohong 60 candidate lead either police national security apparatus currently vice minister public security vice mayor beijing wang cut teeth home province fujian overlap xi xia baolong 64 tout take security tsar step party boss zhejiang province april surprise move sideline position parliament environmental protection resources conservation committee may hurt chance join politburo xia order tear hundreds church cross wenzhou city 2015 xi deputy zhejiang ying yong 59 native zhejiang currently mayor shanghai candidate become party boss country financial capital work xi zhejiang deputy police chief corruption watchdog appeal court act chief judge quan 63 communist party secretary coastal fujian province since december 2012. native hebei province background economics former chairman state electricity regulatory commission entry cai qi make clear since 1987 beijing party chief office-holder cai also seat politburo president 's men china 's politburo line-up measure xi 's power