ABSTRACT
In the past 66 years the People's Republic of China has witnessed the most dramatic events closely associated with leadership succession. Since 1992 the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has made considerable progress in institutionalizing leadership succession through arrangements such as age and term limits and three key posts held by the core leader. This chapter reviews institutional changes in Chinese leadership succession and their noticeable implications for political stability and progress in China. It highlights the significance of leadership succession and of its improvement. The chapter reviews the failures of leadership succession prior to 1992 and the progress in promotion of young leaders in the reform. It presents analysis of progress in political succession since 1992 and the emerging norms. The chapter presents analysis of the factional politics in reform-era China, especially after 1992 and will be assesses the successes and limits in leadership succession in China.
