Xi Jinping is set to be re-elected as party head for a third time, defying decades of tradition. He will become the most powerful leader since Mao Zedong if he is elected to a third term as leader of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
Around 2,300 delegates will convene to elect party leaders and discuss key policies. During the conference, delegates will also select several officials, including the Politburo Standing Committee – China’s equivalent of a presidential cabinet – who will address the assembled media after the congress.
Previously, the twice-decade congress was seen as a chance for leaders to elevate their supporters while competing to strengthen the authority of their factions inside the party. Zero-Covid, he said, was a “people’s effort to stop the virus’s spread.”
The program saved lives, but it cost the Chinese people and economy dearly. The public is becoming increasingly frustrated with lockdowns and travel restrictions. In the run-up to the congress, Beijing has been subjected to stringent security measures, provoking uproar in the city with a rare and dramatic public protest on Thursday condemning Mr. Xi and zero Covid.
Xi on other issues
Xi Jinping also addressed Taiwan, which China considers to be part of its territory. Taiwan, which is self-governing, considers itself to be separate from the rest of the country.
Speaking slowly and methodically, he stressed that Beijing will “never commit to forsake the use of force” and that “complete reunification of our country must and will be realized,” drawing applause from delegates.
Xi Jinping declared that Beijing now controls Hong Kong, converting the situation from “chaos to government.” Following pro-democracy demonstrations on the territory in 2019, Beijing enacted a comprehensive national security statute.
Mr. Xi also alluded to internal schisms in China’s political establishment, asserting that his administration had “removed severe latent threats in the party.”. He has presided over a wide anti-corruption effort that has reached the top echelons of the party since becoming an office. Some detractors, though, have portrayed it as a political purge.
He also declared that China would enhance the military building, 73 times using the words “security” or “safety.”. The speech was substantially shorter than his previous congress speech in 2017, which lasted less than two hours. His statements have almost undoubtedly been rehearsed for months, and analysts will be looking for any signs of policy changes.
Analysts comments
Analysts feel that there appears to be only one faction at the 20th Party Congress – Mr. Xi’s. Days prior, top Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leaders issued a communiqué acknowledging him as the party’s and leadership’s “core,” signaling a clear consolidation of power. They also urged the party to rally around him even more vehemently.
Xi Jinping currently holds three of the most powerful positions in China: general secretary of the Communist Party, commander-in-chief of the country’s armed forces, and president. He is expected to continue his tenure for the first two titles at the Congress.
There are no term limits imposed by the CCP. Except for Mao, the founder of communist China, no leader has ever served a third term. The presidency was similarly limited to two terms under the country’s constitution, which was introduced by reformer Deng Xiaoping to avoid the development of a Mao-like figure.
Xi Jinping, on the other hand, has managed to avoid this requirement: in 2018, China’s rubber-stamp parliament overturned the rule, allowing him to remain president indefinitely. Since assuming office in 2012, Mr. Xi has led China on a path that has been equal parts ambitious and dictatorial.
He has pushed for “a grand rejuvenation of the Chinese country,” including economic reform, environmental mitigation, and poverty relief. He has also begun cracking down on Uyghurs in Xinjiang and pro-democracy protestors in Hong Kong.
Xi Jinping, on the other hand, is still dealing with a host of difficulties, including youth unemployment, a slowing economy, and a lengthy property crisis, not to mention zero-Covid. Many people will be watching the congress to see if Beijing’s foreign policy, notably its attitude toward the world’s second superpower, the United States, changes.
Mr. Xi’s efforts to expand China’s worldwide influence through the One Belt, One Road initiative and claims in the South China Sea, as well as its support for Russia in the Ukraine war and recent military drills surrounding Taiwan, have heightened tensions with the US and other countries.
All of these will remain major priorities with Xi Jinping at the helm, though some experts think he may restrict China’s ambitions in some areas to pursue greater trade relations with the US and regional allies.
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