Wang tipped for top job as CPPCC elects leaders

China's number four official Wang Huning is expected to be the next Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference chairman, as the top political advisory body elects its new leadership today.

Sources said 23 top politicians have been listed as candidates for CPPCC vice chairman, with Politburo member and head of the Chinese Communist Party's United Front Work Shi Taifeng expected to take the position.

Former chief executive Leung Chun-ying is the only CPPCC vice chairman candidate from Hong Kong, sources said, as the SAR's first leader Tung Chee-hwa steps down.

CPPCC members will vote on the successor in the afternoon.

The list comes with one candidate for chairman, 23 for vice chairman and 299 for standing committee member, sources said.

Among the vice chairman candidates are vice premier Hu Chunhua, National People's Congress Standing Committee vice chairwoman Shen Yueyue, State Councilor Wang Yong and Supreme People's Court chief justice Zhou Qiang.

Former party secretary for Hebei province Wang Dongfeng is also a candidate for vice chairman but is expected to become the consultative body's secretary general.

On Wednesday, Liaison Office director Zheng Yanxiong met with Hong Kong CPPCC and NPC delegates in Beijing.

He called the party's prompt adjustment on the handling of Hong Kong and Macau affairs in 2020 "a key move to turn things around."

The office said: "It is proven the Hong Kong and Macau affairs mechanism must continue to evolve according to the change of environment to ensure the party's firm leadership in one country, two systems."

Zheng also said it is a fundamental political principle for organizational revolution to "insist on the party's centralized leadership."

It is the first time officials have mentioned the continuous revolution of the SARs' system, following sourced information that the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office may be upgraded to an agency directly under the Chinese Communist Party - instead of an administrative agency of the State Council - and take on a supervisory role over the liaison offices in the two SARs.

Sources said the change may be announced after the two-sessions closes on Monday.

jane.cheung@singtaonewscorp.com