In Beijing, President Xi of China solidified his position as party leader. But before that, the leader utilized the last event to demonstrate the fate of those who oppose his regime.
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| [Former Chinese Prime Minister was mysteriously taken out of party congress in Beijing] |
Tense moment at the start of the last event in the Great Hall of the People: Ex-Chief Executive Hu Jintao is escorted out of the news conference by two men. Xi Jinping's 79-year-old predecessor, who is clearly astonished, does not want to leave the stands. And so, Secretary-General Xi sits alone, with no one to sit next to him.
Speculation and guesswork surround the incident's backstory, which remains unknown. Many analysts perceive this as a potential power show by the future leader of state and party, and a warning to his opponents inside the party. Hu is not liked because he does not agree with Xi's ultra-authoritarian and nationalist leadership style. Xi's supporters, however, say he wasted the party's time in power and did not do enough to root out corruption.
Xi made the final proclamation ending the party conference. About 2,300 delegates had already approved on amendments to the party constitution that would strengthen the delegates' position. Additionally, the delegates approved of the roughly 200 new members of the Communist Party's Central Committee. The Central Committee oversees party operations and puts congress's directives into action. Since Prime Minister Li Keqiang is not listed, he has decided to step down. The Central Committee is the highest decision-making body in the Communist Party and, by extension, the People's Republic, and without a representative there, he cannot serve on the Politburo or its Standing Committee.
There are three other members of the Standing Committee who are not represented on the Central Committee. To ensure his continued dominance for the foreseeable future, Xi can now fill the seven-member Standing Committee and the Politburo with loyal and younger allies. The party's new leadership will be decided upon at tomorrow's Central Committee meeting. The confirmation of Xi's reappointment as general secretary is expected tomorrow as well. The 69-year-old defies convention because his time as party and state leader was up after two terms. Also, he's too old for the party to join officially. Xi has ruled China and the Communist Party with an iron fist for the past decade. In terms of absolute power, he has more than any other leader since Mao Zedong's long reign.
University of Basel professor Ralph Weber agrees that Xi is associated with "a very successful takeover of power." According to the political scientist, he took over the party at a time when it was struggling. Using anti-corruption campaigns, clever institutional deployments by small leadership groups, and so on, he has successfully whipped the party into shape. Weber elaborated that despite the high level of success, his career had recently become more challenging for a number of reasons. If you look at the ten years that Xi Jinping has been in charge, however, you will see that he has done an incredible job of consolidating power and entrenching himself in all positions.
It will be a difficult few years for Xi Jinping. The economic crisis can be attributed in part to the trade war with the United States. Many citizens are frustrated by the government's strict zero-Covid policy, which has resulted in tighter security measures, travel restrictions, and more frequent mass tests. The low birthrate in China has led to a rapid aging of the population. To add insult to injury, China is becoming increasingly isolated on the global stage. The People's Republic, on the one hand, has become increasingly isolated in recent years. However, many nations are hesitant to work with China, as evidenced by the debates surrounding China's state-owned company COSCO's proposed investment in a terminal in the Port of Hamburg.