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CHINA
A: INDIVIDUAL PERSONALITIES
The aim of the index is to collect information on individual personalities so that we can we can provide:
a) Up to date information on who holds senior jobs in the Chinese central and provincial hierarchies of the state, Party and military systems.
b) Basic curriculum vitae information on those individuals (both past and present) including their present and previous jobs with dates of appointment (or first known appearance)
etc.
c) Further information on individuals to add colour and depth to basic biographical outline. This would include comments from the Embassy etc, but also details of visits abroad, major speeches made or writings published, important functions attended, family details and so on.
The principal source of our basic information is the monitoring of Chinese press and radio published in the BBC's Summary of World Broadcasts. This is supplemented by information from other published material (biographic dictionaries, the world press, Chinese press etc) and by material from government sources
(Embassy reports, visa telegrams and so on). Since we now have access to the World Reporter commercial database, which includes the SWB, we no longer attempt to record every appearance of individuals, including the senior leadership.
The range of posts for which we attempt to gather information on its senior personnel is as follows:
CENTRAL PARTY
CENTRAL STATE
Politburo.
Secretariat.
Full and alternate members of the Central Committee.
Officers and members of the Central
Advisory Commission.
Officers of the Central
Disciplinary Inspection Commission.
Heads and Deputy Heads of Central
Committee Departments.
Membership of Small Groups and
other ad hoc organisations under the Central Committee.
President, Vice Presidents.
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