ABSTRACT
Recently, the trend toward institutionalization and formal politics within the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has much engaged scholars' attention. 1 With regard to leadership succession in the CCP, the next power transfer is generally expected to occur at the 18th Party Congress in late 2012. 2 Incumbent top leaders, including President Hu Jintao https://s3-euw1-ap-pe-df-pch-content-public-p.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/9780203374504/59b68c90-5841-4937-b401-89116ef61e86/content/fig2-1_B.tif" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"/> and Premier Wen Jiabao https://s3-euw1-ap-pe-df-pch-content-public-p.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/9780203374504/59b68c90-5841-4937-b401-89116ef61e86/content/fig2-2_B.tif" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"/> https://s3-euw1-ap-pe-df-pch-content-public-p.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/9780203374504/59b68c90-5841-4937-b401-89116ef61e86/content/fig2-3_B.tif" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"/>, will retire in accordance with age and term limits. China analysts are keen to speculate about the upcoming turnover of the Politburo, with a special focus on the pattern of institutionalization within the political system. 3
