Can Xi Jinping delegate?

Is Xi Jinping willing to delegate to those he trusts?

• That’s a question we at Trivium often ponder.

We think the answer is a (tentative) yes, and there are growing indications of Xi's willingness to delegate.

• In June, Xi sent Cai Qi – the Party’s fifth-ranked official – to the National Organization Work Conference on his behalf.
• In July, he sent Cai Qi (again, lucky fella!) and Ding Xuexiang – the Party's sixth-ranked official and the executive vice premier – to the National Cybersecurity and Informatization Work Conference, on his behalf.
• We also heard on the grape vine that Xi will hand one of his pet projects, the China International Import Expo, over to Premier Li Qiang.

What's more, Xi is presiding over fewer meetings than before (SCMP).

• Since the Two Sessions back in March, Xi has presided over 19 meetings on domestic affairs.
• This is compared to 26 meetings during the same period five years ago, and 22 meetings during the same period a decade ago.

Get smart: Despite growing indications, the evidence is far from conclusive as to whether Xi is willing to truly delegate power to his close allies.

Eyes peeled: This is an important area to watch.

• The more Xi is willing to delegate, the less of a bottleneck he'll be for policymaking.
• This is especially important as China navigates an economic slowdown, threats to its prized tech sector, and geopolitical tensions.