Beijing: China’s ceremonial Parliament on Friday unanimously confirmed an unprecedented third five-year term for Xi Jinping as President and head of the military, paving the way for him to stay in power for life amid the slowdown of the economy and increasing tensions with the US and EU.
Much on the expected lines, 2,952 legislators of the National People’s Congress (NPC), often described as the rubber stamp Parliament for its routine endorsement of the Communist Party’s proposals approved Xi, the 69-year-old “core leader”, as President and the Chairman of the all-powerful Central Military Commission (CMC), the high command of the two million strong world’s largest military.
All his predecessors retired after two five-year terms.
But Xi will continue, perhaps for life, as a new powerful leader of the world’s second-largest economy heading the party, the military and the presidency, which observers say will have wider implications for China internally and externally, especially for the immediate neighbour India, considering the aggressive postures struck by the Chinese military in eastern Ladakh along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
Xi, known as a ‘princeling’ as he was the son of former vice-premier Xi Zhongxun who was persecuted by party founder Mao Zedong for his liberal views, rose to ranks steadily, becoming vice president under the previous President Hu Jintao.
While Xi had the image of a sedate leader in his previous postings, he transformed himself into the most ambitious and powerful leader soon after he took over the leadership of the party in 2012, immediately followed by the Presidency and Chairman of the CMC by carrying out an unprecedented campaign against corruption in which over a million officials were punished.
Xi was re-elected by the once-in-a-five-year Congress of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) as its leader in October last year, becoming the first Chinese leader after the party founder Mao Zedong to continue in power beyond the two five-year terms.
Xi’s continuation reverts back to Mao’s era of one leader, strongly rejected by his successor Deng Xiaoping to avert excesses and to encourage a collective leadership system in the one-party ruled state.
He has already been elected as the General Secretary of the CPC during its last October Congress, which also elected a new leadership for all its top policy bodies.
The NPC paved the way for Xi’s continuation in power by removing a two-term limit for the President through a Constitutional amendment in 2018, permitting an indefinite tenure for him.
On Friday, the NPC also approved the various leadership positions finalised and recommended by the last month’s Plenum of the CPC besides endorsing a plan on reforming the institutions of the central Cabinet called the State Council.
It includes the creation of a science and technology commission to coordinate efforts to remove bottlenecks in China’s hi-tech industry amid a deepening tech war with the US. After he was endorsed, Xi took a pledge of allegiance to the Constitution and bowed before the members of the House.
The NPC also appointed former executive vice-premier Han Zheng as vice-president. He succeeds Xi’s close aide Wang Qishan, who carried out a ruthless campaign against corruption punishing over a million officials including a host of Generals of the military, which critics alleged used to subdue any resistance to Xi in the party.