At a recent event, retired top leader Hu Jintao was given a lower position in the official rankings of Party and State leaders, which analysts believed could signal a desire for a strong core leadership under President Xi Jinping within the Party.

In a Friday report in the Nanjing-based Xinhua Daily about the funeral of Cao Keming, former secretary of the Commission for Discipline Inspection of the Communist Party of China's (CPC) Jiangsu Provincial Committee, Hu's name was listed behind those of the incumbent members of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee.

Xi's name and his mourning for Cao was noted in a separate sentence at the beginning of the report, while other members of the Political Bureau, the highest body within the Party, were listed as a group in the following sentence.

During the CPC's leadership transition in 2012, Xi became the CPC Central Committee general secretary and chairman of the Central Military Commission. Following the transition, Xi said Hu voluntarily gave up the military commission post.

Since then, Hu had been listed after members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau at public appearances and news reports.

In China, the ranking of officials is considered a serious matter, and is closely watched for clues to happenings in China's politics.

"There is no written rule on the ranking of officials and it varies from time to time, reflecting the changing power structure," said Wang Zhanyang, a professor with the Central Institute of Socialism.

Wang told the Global Times that the new ranking indicated an obvious decline in the influence of retired top officials and strong support for Xi's core role in the new central leadership.

"Xi has proven himself to be a mature leader who can play a pivotal role. The nation may still encounter many difficulties in deepening reforms, but the new generation of leadership is expected to eventually overcome them. Given that, the best thing retired officials can offer is their support for Xi's independent leadership," Wang noted.

Yin Yungong, a research fellow with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, echoed Wang. "The lowered position sends a positive signal that retired top officials will not interfere with current leadership," Yin said, adding that Hu has demonstrated "exemplary conduct and nobility of character." 

Similar comments have been bestowed on another retired top leader, Jiang Zemin, following his request that the CPC Central Committee place his name alongside those of other retired senior officials, and below those of serving Party and State leaders in November 2012.

"The new ranking order is a new outlook, indicating a more scientific, rational and regulated political system in the future," Yin noted.