Japan's Yomiuri Shimbun reported on August 24, 2017, that in a short list of candidates for the Politburo Standing Committee (PBSC) prepared after the meeting at Beidaihe, the 69-year old Chairman of the CDIC Wang Qishan did not figure. It claimed that in addition to retaining Xi Jinping and Li Keqiang, the list includes 56-year old Chen Min'er (Party Secretary of Chongqing Municipality and currrently CCP CC member to take over from Li Yunshun as in-charge of publicity and ideology ); 62-year old Vice Premier Wang Yang, who is tipped to become Chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC); 63-year Han Zheng (Party Secretary of Shanghai and tipped to be appointed Chairman of the CPPCC); 54-year Hu Chunhua (Party Secretary of Guangdong and to be appointed Vice Premier); and 67-year old Li Zhanshu (who is presently a PB member) and tipped to take over as Chairman of the anti-corruption body the CDIC.

The Yomiuri Shimbun also said that former presidents Jiang Zemin and Hu Jintao, among others, attended the Beidaihe meeting, when Xi Jinping’s proposals on personnel were basically approved to also indicate Party unity.

(Comment: Han Zheng is close to Xi Jinping and was among the first to call for recognition of his writings and speeches as Xi Jinping Thought. Li Zhanshu is a friend, drinking buddy and close associate of Xi Jinping and his powerful 'right hand' man. Chen Min'er is also close to Xi Jinping. Premier Li Keqiang, Wang Yang and Hu Chunhua are influential members of the China Youth League, which had been a political base for former President Hu Jintao, but of them Hu Chunhua was identified for higher positions by Deng Xiaoping.)