Early political career of Xi Jinping

Xi Jinping, the general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party and leader of China since 2012, was assigned as a mishu to Minister of Defense Geng Biao following his graduation from Tsinghua University in 1979. In 1982, Xi requested he be transferred outside Beijing, leading him to be assigned as deputy party secretary of Zhengding County in Hebei, where he became the CCP committee secretary in 1983. In Hebei, Xi promoted initiatives to promote the household responsibility system and boost tourism.

In 1985, he was assigned as a vice mayor in Xiamen, Fujian, where he promoted various economic development projects. In 1988, he was appointed as the party secretary of Ningde. In Ningde, Xi focused on anti-poverty efforts. In 1990, he was assigned to Fuzhou City as the Municipal Committee Secretary. Fuzhou's economy grew under Xi, and he promoted various projects such as the Changle International Airport. In 1995, Xi was elevated to deputy secretary of the Fujian Provincial Party Committee. He was tasked with rural affairs, and focused on attracting foreign investment. He became the Vice Governor of Fujian in 1999, before becoming the Governor in 2000. He focused on reforming and modernizing Fujian's economy.

In 2002, he was transferred to Zhejiang, where he served as the provincial party secretary. In Zhejiang. he implemented private business-friendly policies, developed the Double Eight Strategy, and focused on economic integration with neighboring regions. In 2007, Xi was transferred to replace the dismissed Shanghai party secretary Chen Liangyu for a brief period. He subsequently joined the Politburo Standing Committee the same year and became the first-ranking member of the Secretariat. In 2008, Xi was appointed the vice president and became vice chairman of the CMC in 2010, making him Hu Jintao's presumed successor as paramount leader. During this time, he oversaw CCP ideology and security, and oversaw policies regarding Hong Kong, Tibet and Xinjiang.