When the Communist Party Congress begins tomorrow in Beijing, China’s leader Xi Jinping is poised to win an unprecedented third term in office.
It will solidify him as China’s most powerful leader since Mao Zedong, who reigned for almost 30 years and founded the communist party.
The 69-year-old President Xi has already completed two terms of five years each, and he may now hold the throne indefinitely.
He’s paved his way for re-selection by not naming a successor, purging potential rivals through an anti-corruption drive and scrapping the two term presidential limit.
The precedent set by Hu Jintao and Jiang Zemin, who left office after ten years each, is broken by his third term.
The director of the New Zealand Contemporary China Research Centre, Jason Young, said it’s a departure from the system of collective leadership, which was designed to bring stability and peaceful transition after the chaos of Mao’s rule.
Wang Xiaolong, China’s ambassador to New Zealand, disagreed that collective leadership had been given up and said that consensus was being built.
According to Wang, “He’s largely regarded as the ideal leader to steer the country through some of the probable upcoming tough patches.”
According to the UN, Xi Jinping has led a nation that is becoming more authoritarian, inflexible, and assertive. He has suppressed democracy in Hong Kong, conducted military exercises surrounding Taiwan, and violated the rights of Muslim minority communities in Xinjiang.
A more diverse, pluralistic society would find it quite challenging for him to try to unite the party and China under such a limited understanding of what China is, according to Young.
According to him, Xi’s vision for China forbids dissent. “He is the finest judge of what China ought to be.”
However, Ambassador Wang disagreed with the notion that China had been hostile.
“We have tried our best to develop friendly cooperative relations with other countries in this world, and we have supported multilateralism and international cooperation to address some on the common challenges,” said Wang.
The party congress, which is held once every five years, elects the general secretary and members of the core leadership who will govern China through 2027.
The central committee, which elects the Politburo standing committee and the party leader, is made up of 200 members chosen by the 2300 or so delegates who gather in the Great Hall of Beijing behind closed doors.
The standing committee currently consists of only seven persons, including President Xi. No woman has ever entered the exclusive group.
Young claimed that the composition of the committee will reveal much.
Young questioned, “Will it be a selection of those highly devoted to Xi and other other factions in the party, or will that be all of the very loyal to Xi people?”
President Xi has amassed a substantial amount of power since taking office in 2012. His political philosophy, known as “Xi Jinping Thought,” was codified in the constitution and is now being taught in schools. He has tightened control over the military and official media.
Xi has appointed himself as general secretary, president, and leader of the military in addition to being in control of the economy, propaganda, and other important duties.
A New Zealand businessman based in China for 40 years, David Mahon said Xi had performed well domestically, although some people think he was heavy-handed in Xinjiang and he’s being blamed for the economic slowdown due to his strict zero-Covid policy.
Since Mao, Xi is perhaps the most well-liked leader among the populace, according to Mahon.
However, he claimed it wasn’t the case at the highest levels of authority.
“He’s not so popular because his power is considerable and it means their power is less. ”
China’s moves in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Xinjiang have alarmed New Zealand.
Young stated that if China continues in the same manner, a third term for Xi would certainly provide greater issues for New Zealand and might result in a further thawing of the relationship.
He stated that in order to interact with China, New Zealand must be informed.
It might be difficult, but dealing with a sizable, significant country while not completely comprehending it would be far more difficult, according to Young.
The Asia New Zealand Foundation has provided funding for Cushla Norman’s travel to Taiwan.
Explainer: What Xi Jinping needs to know about China’s 20th party congress
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