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The high-wire of Party politics

Internet users and media turn attention on a 26-year-old woman in Hubei who was granted a Party post immediately upon graduation from college, and was then promoted four times in four years.

Following chatter by Chinese internet users in late November, Chinese media reported that a 26-year-old woman who has been dubbed “the most county leader in history” is now serving as the top Party leader in Hubei’s Jiangling County (江陵县). The young cadre, born in 1985 and graduating from college in 2008, reportedly stepped right into a Party leadership position in Jiangling upon graduation and was promoted four time within four years. The story has raised suspicions about the young Party secretary’s political connections and possible corruption. In this cartoon, posted by Kunming-based studio Yuan Jiao Man’s Space (圆觉漫时空) to QQ.com, the young female Party leader, juggling several official caps, rids a unicycle across a high-wire as perplexed ordinary Chinese look on.

David Bandurski

CMP Director

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