China’s President Xi Jinping takes an oath after being unanimously elected as president during a session of the National People’s Congress of China (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Friday, Aug. March 10, 2023.
Mark Schiefelbein/AP
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Mark Schiefelbein/AP
China’s President Xi Jinping takes an oath after being unanimously elected as president during a session of the National People’s Congress of China (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Friday, Aug. March 10, 2023.
Mark Schiefelbein/AP
BEIJING – China’s parliament awarded leader Xi Jinping a third term as president on Friday, an outcome that has been widely expected since he orchestrated the abolition of gender equality. term was limited by a constitutional amendment five years ago.
The presidency in China is largely ceremonial; Much of Xi’s power stems from his position as leader of the ruling Communist Party and commander-in-chief of the military. But his re-appointment completes a full-blown power grab that is rapidly unfolding and highlights Xi’s dominance of the Chinese political system.
Xi was re-elected with nearly 3,000 delegates to the National People’s Congress holding their annual meeting in Beijing. After the announcement, Mr. Xi bowed to the delegates as they clapped their hands.
Holding his right hand to take the oath of office, Mr. Xi said he would be loyal to the constitution and “fatherland”, and “work hard to build a prosperous, strong, democratic modern socialist society”. civilized, harmonious and beautiful”. nation.”
At the Communist Party congress in October, Xi won a third term as general secretary against the rules and surrounded him with loyalists and allies — a victory that surprised many observers, who had expected other factions within the party to be influential enough to retain some representation. in the top ranks of the party.
That outcome was the culmination of a steady and sometimes ruthless consolidation of power that began after Hu Jintao handed over party control to Xi in 2012.
With the new mandates, analysts say Mr. Xi’s reign will be rivaled only by Chairman Mao Zedong, who has ruled for nearly three decades, and Deng Xiaoping, who has guided the opening of the country. China ‘s economy as its supreme leader for about 20 years until his death in 1997 .
However, Xi’s reign so far has been turbulent.
He has tightened the party’s grip on society, restricted freedom of speech, suppressed Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement and waged an assimilation campaign against minorities in the Xinjiang region. , which the top UN human rights official said could lead to crimes against humanity.
His massive anti-corruption campaign won widespread support at the grassroots level, while upsetting the country’s massive bureaucracy. Xi took credit in 2020 for eradicating poverty in China – a long-term goal of the party. He also carried out extensive modernization of the army.
However, the challenges have increased. China’s economic growth has faltered, from 7.8% in 2013 to just 3% last year under the weight of crippling COVID control measures advocated by Xi. And friction with the West has grown during his tenure, with many blaming his uncompromising “Wolf Warrior” approach to foreign affairs.
“[Xi’s] Tony Saich, an expert on Chinese politics at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, said:
But, he said, it raises serious questions.
“Will anyone stand up for him if there are flaws in policy? A problem for all authoritarian leaders. Most of his supporters are top appointed officials. based on loyalty rather than policy expertise. Do they have the skills needed to deal with the complexities of the future?” challenge?” Saich said.
Analysts say it is possible that Xi will take power after his new five-year term, as there is no clear successor.
On Friday, Mr. Xi was also unanimously elected to another term as chairman of the state’s Central Military Commission (CMC). He has headed the stronger CMC Party. And his two aides — Han Zheng and Zhao Leji — were given the roles of vice president and parliament speaker.
In the coming days, other Xi Jinping loyalists are expected to be appointed to top government jobs, further cementing his grip on the levers of power.
The most important appointment may be that of Li Qiang, who is expected to become Prime Minister on Saturday. Li was elevated to the party’s No. 2 position in the fall, despite his controversial handling of the month-long blockade in Shanghai, where he was most recently party secretary.
