The term Tsinghua clique refers to a group of Communist Chinese politicians that have graduated from Tsinghua University (Chinese: 清华大学; pinyin: Qīnghuá Dàxué). They are members of the fourth generation of Chinese leadership, and are purported to hold hesitantly pro-democratic or reformist ideas (a number have studied in the United States following graduation from Tsinghua, and some are said to be influenced by the reform ideals of Hu Yaobang). In the PRC, their ascendance to power is likely to begin in 2008 at the 17th National Congress of the CPC.
Tsinghua graduates who have political prominence are disproportionately greater in number than graduates of other famous universities. Among the nine standing committees at the Politburo, there are four Tsinghua graduates; among the 24 Politburo committee members, there are five; and of all the "leaders of the party and the country", there are 10.
Key figures are reported to include:
Retired or deceased:
The Tsinghua clique also referred to a group of Nationalist Chinese politicians who held high power in the Republic of China government and fled to Taiwan with the government during the Chinese Civil War. All of them are deceased: