Xi Jinping gets third term as General Secretary of the Communist Party

the president of China, Xi Jinpingsecured a third term in power on Sunday and promoted some of his closest allies in the Communist Party of China (CPC), cementing his position as the country’s most influential leader since founder Mao Zedong.

Xi Jinping was once again elected as General Secretary of the ruling Communist Partythe state-run Xinhua news agency reported, tipping the country back to one-man rule after decades of power-sharing among the elite.

I want to sincerely thank the entire party for the trust they have placed in us,” he told reporters at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing after the closed-door vote was announced.

Xi Jinping he was also reappointed as head of China’s Central Military Commission.

With the appointments, the 69-year-old leader is practically assured of his appointment as president of China for a third term, to be formally announced during the annual legislative sessions in March.

His appointment put an end to the Communist Party congress, held in Beijing over the last week, which also approved a profound rearrangement in power with the resignation of several former Xi rivals.

The 20th Congress of Communist Party of China elected a new Central Committee of about 200 members, who elected Xi Jinping and the remaining members of the Standing Committee, the pinnacle of Chinese political power.

Some close allies of Xi Jinping were announced at the seven-member Standing Committee.

Former Shanghai Party Leader, Li Qianga confidant of Xi Jinpingrose to position number two, with which he could be appointed prime minister in the legislative sessions in March.

As party chief in Shanghai, Li Quiang was a lightning rod for an outbreak of public outrage that overtook censors over the city’s harsh two-month Covid-19 lockdown earlier this year. In addition, Li and Xi Jinping share a long history, including Li’s tenure as Xi’s chief of staff when Xi was party chief of Zhejiang province.

Another new member of the Standing Committee is Xi’s private secretary and guardian, Ding Xuexiang, who at 60 is the youngest on the new panel. Ding heads the party’s powerful Central Committee General Office, which handles administrative affairs at the top.

Cai QiThe 66-year-old joins the Standing Committee from his post as party chief in Beijing and is considered one of Xi’s closest political allies, having worked with him for 20 years in the coastal provinces of Fujian and Zhejiang.

The fourth newcomer is Li Xi66, party chief in economic powerhouse Guangdong province, who experts also view as ideologically close to Xi Jinping, though they do not share a history of working together like the others.

no women

“Xi has installed his allies in all seven seats of the Communist Party’s top decision-making body, which will enable him to dominate the political system for the foreseeable future,” said Neil Thomas, China expert at the Eurasia Group.

The Central Committee also elected the members of the political bureau, which this time will have 24 members, according to the list released on Sunday. For the first time in 25 years, there will be no women.

Since his rise to power a decade ago, Xi Jinping he has amassed power like no other Chinese ruler except Mao.

In 2018, he eliminated the limit of two presidential terms, which opened the way for him to govern indefinitely.

He also spearheaded the rise of China As the world’s second-largest economy, it fueled a massive military expansion and an aggressive international stance that drew strong opposition from the United States.

“After more than 40 years of tireless reform and opening-up efforts, we have created two miracles: rapid economic development and long-term social stability,” Xi Jinping said.

“China cannot develop without the world and the world also needs China,” he insisted.

Xi Jinping faces great challenges in the next five years, including managing the indebted economy and the growing rivalry with the United States.

After his re-election, the Russian president, Vladimir Putinexpressed his “warmest congratulations” and said he was “delighted” to continue the “constructive dialogue” and “close common work.”

The North Korean leader Kim Jong Unsaid for his part that he hopes for a “good future” in bilateral relations.

and the president of CubaMiguel Díaz-Canel sent “warm congratulations” to Xi on Sunday and expressed his willingness to strengthen his friendship with China to contribute to the “irreversibility and vitality of socialism” in the world.

“21st Century Marxism”

Sunday’s vote ended a week in which China’s top brass extolled its own leadership over the past five years.

Analysts were attentive to whether the party charter was amended to enshrine the “Thought of Xi Jinping“as a guiding philosophy, something that would put Xi on a par with Mao.

That did not happen, although the resolution did call the creed “the Marxism of contemporary China and the 21st century,” adding that it “embodies the best culture and ethics of this age.”

In an unexpected move at the Great Hall of the People, former ruler Hu Jintao was removed from the closing ceremony on Saturday.

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