China’s Xi Jinping Gets Third Leadership Term In “Most Unforgettable Meet”

The Chinese Communist Party Congress held in Beijing over the past week started out slow but has ended with a bang.

China President Xi Jinping, as expected, has won a new term as Communist Party secretary at a congress that will be memorable for his display of political power and the dramatic exit of his predecessor Hu Jintao.

“This is the most unforgettable meet in CCP (Chinese Communist Party) history,” Tweeted Yawei Lu, director of the China Program at The Carter Center. Lu cited the secrecy around the event, “massive revision” of the party charter, party secretary’s Xi Jinping’s third term in the position, and the “humiliating exit” of Xi predecessor Hu Jintao, among other factors.

Former party leader Hu Jintao, once one of China’s most powerful figures, was stunningly led out of the closing ceremony of the party gathering from his chair next to Xi. (See earlier post here.)

Besides Xi – who won a new five-year term, the six members selected for the party’s powerful Politburo are Xi allies Li Qiang, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, Zhang Leji, Ding Xuexiang, and Li Xi.

As Shanghai party secretary, Li Qiang – now seen as the country’s next premier — has been closely associated with unpopular “zero-Covid” policies that disrupted global supply chains in the international business hub this year, harming foreign investors such as Tesla. Incumbent, reform-minded Premier Li Keqiang wasn’t named to the new Politiburo at a time when private sector business leaders are concerned about new income redistribution measures and a government tilt in favor of state-owned enterprises.

The party meeting came amid geopolitical tension with the U.S. over Taiwan and Beijing’s close ties with Russia, and has been watched by governments, businesses and investors globally for signs of future policy directions in the world’s most populous nation and second-largest economy. Reform to the party charter added opposition to Taiwan independence and support for various existing Xi policies.

Speaking to the press at a noontime gathering, Xi, 69, fused praise for Marxism with nationalistic themes and reassurance that China’s once high-flying economy will advance anew. The “strong fundamentals will not change,” said Xi, who didn’t take any questions from reporters.

“China will open its door even wider” to the rest of the word, he pledged.

The congress until today had been notable for a consistency of policy statements (see related post here). How much personnel and factional changes at the top lead to policy shifts will test that read.

See related posts:

Elon Musk Backs China Special Zone For Taiwan That’d Be “More Lenient Than Hong Kong”

China Policy “Straightjacket” May End After Party Congress, Economist Says

@rflannerychina