Xi Chairs Politburo Democratic Life Meeting; Second Plenum Set For January With Amending Constitution On The Agenda; Beijing Evading Oil Sanctions On North Korea?; Leniency For Those Who Confess, Severity For Those Who Resist 坦白从宽抗拒从严

I hope everyone is enjoying the Holidays, apologies for less frequency than promised over these two weeks. I will make it up to you.

I am working on a yearend look at the top trends in China, clearly Xi’s consolidation of power is one of the most important ones. But I think the return of the Party, captured in Xi’s statement “Government, military, society and schools, north, south, east and west, the Party is the leader of everything “党政军民学，东西南北中，党是领导一切的”, is the most important trend driving China internally and externally. More to come as I think it through, comments of course welcome.

Thanks for reading.

The Essential Eight 

1. Politburo Convenes Democratic Life Meeting, Sets Second Plenum For January

China Focus: CPC "democratic life" meeting highlights Xi's core status - Xinhua:

"It is the aspiration of the whole Party and the people to have Xi, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, serve at the core of the CPC and its Central Committee," said a statement issued after the "dem…