Thing is, China does not have one dictator. The prime minister changes regularly and his ability to cling to power is limited by opaque (but apparently efficient) check and balances at the top level of the PCC.
I tried to read more about it two years ago and was surprised to see academics complaining about the lack of a political science model of the Chinese government (apart from the one provided by the PCC propaganda). In one word: we don't know how it works.
It's been a stable system since Deng stepped down but the word is that Xi Jinping is trying to mess with that. He's purging the Party of people not personally loyal to him so he might be considering staying on for a third term.
Since the 1980s only 2 Politburo members have been purged. The first was Bo Xilai in 2002, Xi Jinping's main rival for the top job. The second was Sun Zhengcai, in July. He was being groomed as a successor to Xi Jinping. This purge prompted speculation that Xi would prefer no successor at all.
Was there really suspicion that Bo Xilai trial was political? I got the impression that he could be judged despite his political influence. For murdering a British journalist nonetheless, which proved him to be at the head of a crime organization. Are there elements that indicate this is a total set-up?
Sun is Bo's successor in the same province. When you remove the leader of a crime ring, the ring still exists. I think that these accusations are pretty credible. 2 members in 15 years, in a country that's supposed to be struggling with corruption, that's nor something that looks that unusual.
I tried to read more about it two years ago and was surprised to see academics complaining about the lack of a political science model of the Chinese government (apart from the one provided by the PCC propaganda). In one word: we don't know how it works.