The rise of aerospace business executives in Chinese political leadership, coined “the cosmos club,” is unprecedented. And several of these leaders may be strong contenders for the Politburo at the 20th Party Congress this fall.

Preference towards hometown representatives is nothing new in Chinese politics. A deep dive into the history of power distribution among candidates who share local origins can give us a look at what’s to come in the next Party Congress.

Racial and ethnic tensions loom larger in the world today than the power or policies to reconcile them. China has a long way to go in that regard. Given the absence or scarcity of public discourse on these challenges domestically and strong criticism from abroad –– especially from the United States and European countries –– of the treatment of Uygurs in Xinjiang, Beijing has been on the defensive as it faces ongoing international scrutiny and sanctions.

At a time when male dominance in political leadership is being challenged across the globe, both the Chinese public and the international community are likely to take greater notice of the gender imbalance within the Chinese political elite. And while the number of females in provincial and national leadership positions has increased, there is still much work to be done to progress forward.

The economic boom and financial risk of present-day China has fostered a new generation of financial technocrats who have ascended the ranks of the national and provincial leadership on the eve of the 20th Party Congress.

After diving into the age brackets of China’s CCP leadership, a deeper look at their previous roles and professional experience reveals a shift toward business executives gaining higher positions within the Party’s hierarchy.

A deeper examination of the age cohorts of each generation of Chinese leaders gives insight into the trends that have developed within the CCP’s promotion structure and political trajectory.

China’s leaders have been sorted into generational brackets by decade of birth. This article examines the formative experiences and policy orientations of the post-1960s generation, which will dominate the Chinese leadership after the 20th Party Congress.

China is presently taking measures to reorganize its 31 province-level Party committees. As the 20th Party Congress approaches, understanding this reshuffling is crucial to assessing the current and future trajectory of China’s national leadership.

To grasp China’s changing national leadership, one must understand developments in the provinces, including the historical trend of recruiting Party elites from province-level leadership.