As this book has shown, the training and education of cadres are essential elements of China's cadre management system. The recruitment, promotion, placement, assessment, further education, remuneration and discipline that shape the careers of Chinese cadres are all punctuated by frequent participation in a plethora of training courses specifically designed for the political and professional needs of cadres. Equally important, the pursuit of educational qualifications, from middle vocational all the way to doctoral degrees, and public examinations for specific posts increasingly determine the twists and turns of an individual's career.

In this final substantive chapter I will analyse some of the many connections between cadre training and education, the cadre management system, cadre careers and, ultimately, the composition of China's ruling elite. I will first discuss the expectations, experiences and opinions of cadres about the role of education and training in their own work and career development, followed by a discussion of the fit – or lack thereof – between the realities of cadres' daily work and the party's requirements and ambitions. I will then turn to an analysis of the career paths of leading cadres in Yunnan, and the impact that recent reforms in cadre management had at the time of my fieldwork in 2004 and 2005. In the final section I will turn to the implications of the rise in the status of professional training and qualifications and the composition of China's cadre corps.