Thinkers of Chinese history always warned emperors and other rulers not to surround themselves with too clever advisors, especially those who could have their own ambitions. Xi’s top strategist Wang Huning is always very close to power but at the same time in the background – not someone who wants to be at the very top. It may be thanks to this characteristic that he now serves as a close advisor to Xi Jinping, the third state and party leader. „Xi Jinping apparently sees the workaholic Wang not as competition but as a loyal advisor whose analytical and strategic abilities he does not want to do without,“ wrote Daniel Leese, professor of Sinology at the University of Freiburg, in the SZ recently.