Tribune News Service
Sandeep Dikshit
New Delhi, October 22
Barring a formal announcement on Sunday, Chinese President Xi Jinping will take power for a third five-year term after edging out most of his contemporaries who took power along with him in 2012.
Xi has retired several leaders, including PM Li Keqiang, at the end of the 20th Congress of the Communist Party of China which elected 205 regular Central Committee members and 171 alternate members.
Impact on border talks with india
Foreign Minister Wang Yi elected to Central Committee despite crossing retirement ageAn aide of Xi on foreign policy issues, he is expected to make it to Political BureauWang is also special representative on border talks with India along with NSA Ajit DovalPost his elevation, it is to be seen if he remains on panel on border talks
Most being sixth generation of Communist Party leaders or with little influence, a formal announcement on Sunday of the 25-member Politburo and the all-powerful seven-member Standing Committee of the Politburo will carry Xi’s imprimatur. The CPC Congress today approved an amendment to the party Constitution that may further enhance Xi’s stature as China’s leader.
Xi himself flouted the rule of retiring after crossing the age of 68 and is the second leader after Mao to head the Chinese Communist Party for 10 years. Xi, now 69, will be the first to appear on the stage tomorrow, indicating that he has been elected General Secretary for the next years. He will be followed by Politburo Standing Committee members, who elected him as their leader, followed by Politburo members. Xi and his new team have left for a hotel for quarantine and Covid-testing before they present themselves before the media on Sunday.
Besides Li, four others who were part of the seven-member Politburo Standing Committee of 2017-22 were missing from the Central Committee list. Li’s exit, however, was no surprise as he had correctly read the tea leaves and announced his retirement earlier this year.
Initiator of ‘Wolf Warrior’ diplomacy Wang Yi could remain as Foreign Minister as he has been elected to the Central Committee. Like Xi, he is also 69 years old. His more moderate predecessor and Politburo Standing Committee member Yang Jiechi was not on the Central Committee list.
Xi, in his closing remarks, said the revision of the Constitution sets out clear requirements for upholding and strengthening the party’s overall leadership. “Dare to struggle, dare to win, bury your heads and work hard. Be determined to keep forging ahead. We must be ready to withstand high winds, choppy waters and even dangerous storms,” he said.
“Confronted with drastic changes in the international landscape, especially external attempts to blackmail, contain, (and) blockade… China, we have put our national interests first,” he added.
