Seven up, eight down
| Seven up, eight down | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chinese | 七上八下 | ||||||
| |||||||
Seven up, eight down is an informal rule within the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) that if a Politburo or Politburo Standing Committee member is 68 or older at the time of a party congress, he must retire, but if he is 67 or younger, he may still enter the committee.
History
The informal rule was introduced in 2002 by outgoing CCP general secretary Jiang Zemin.[1][2]
In October 2016, Deng Maosheng, a director within the Central Policy Research Office, dismissed what the seven up, eight down rule existed, stating "The strict boundaries of ‘seven up, eight down’ don’t exist" and adding "This is something from folklore, and cannot be trusted".[1][3]
The informal rule was broken three times following the 20th CCP National Congress in 2022. Xi Jinping, aged 69, was re-elected as general secretary of the CCP Central Committee. Additionally, Zhang Youxia, aged 72, was re-elected to the Politburo while Wang Yi, aged 68, was also elected. Other than Xi, Zhang and Wang, the seven up, eight down rule was observed.[4]
See also
References
- 1 2 "Will Xi Bend Retirement 'Rule' to Keep Top Officials in Power?". Bloomberg News. 31 October 2016. Archived from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 2016-12-14.
- ↑ "专栏 | 夜话中南海：关于中共高层换届"七上八下"年龄限制的来龙去脉" [Column | Night Talk in Zhongnanhai: The Origins and Development of the "Seven Up, Eight Down" Age Limit for the CCP's Top Leadership Reshuffle]. Radio Free Asia (in Chinese). 26 March 2021. Retrieved 11 June 2026.
- ↑ Kitt, Frances (11 September 2017). "China: No country for old men?". Lowy Institute. Retrieved 2026-06-11.
- ↑ Li, Ling (2022-12-13). "The Hidden Significance and Resilience of the Age-Limit Norm of the Chinese Communist Party". The China Collection. Retrieved 2026-06-11.