Xi Schools New Senior Officials ; Financial Regulators Ruin Bankers' Weekend; New Push To Make Cities Safer; A Panopticon Needs "Sharp Eyes"

Good morning from DC, where our freeze is finally ending.

The big news in the China Western media world is the resignation of BBC China editor Carrie Gracie:

In an open letter, Ms Gracie - who has been at the BBC for more than 30 years - accused the corporation of having a "secretive and illegal pay culture". She said the BBC was facing a "crisis of trust", after it was revealed two-thirds of its stars earning more than £150,000 were male.

Her departure is a loss for foreign media coverage of China.

The Essential Eight

1. Xi Schools New Senior Officials

Comment: There is going to be a big campaign to study "Xi's January 5 Speech". The politics do not seem to be loosening after the 19th Party Congress, just the opposite in fact.

Xi says senior officials "crucial" in Party, state governance - Xinhua:

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday said that members of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and provincial and ministerial-level officials are "crucial" to the sound governance…