Xu Caihou is one of three vice chairman of the Central Military Commission of the Communist Party of China and the People's Republic of China. He succeeded Hu Jintao to this post on September 19, 2004 upon the latter's promotion to the chairmanship. His appointment came as a surprise to some analysts as it was thought that Jiang Zemin would make the promotion of his protégé Zeng Qinghong the condition of his retirement. As a result, Xu's appointment appeared to be a political victory for Hu. Xu is also a member of the Secretariat of the Communist Party of China.