In the latest legislative session, the CPC (Communist Party of China) has paved the way for China’s leader Xi Jin Ping to remain in power indefinitely.
In the recent party congress, he had already ensured that his ideology was cemented into the nation’s constitution, and he failed to name t a successor, violating decades of precedent. Some analysts suggest he will try to maintain his rule after his term comes to an end, in 2023.
Meanwhile, online discontent has been largely stifled, with state controlled censors blocking terms, which translated include “Emperor Xi,” “to live forever and never grow old,” and references to “Winnie the Pooh,” an online nickname for Xi.
Some political analysts in the US also suggest that in his drive for stability and one-man rule, in the longer term, he may actually destabilize the CPC and the state should he choose to remain in power. Rival cliques within the CPC may choose to openly oppose him, if they believe they can no longer wait him out. In the case of any domestic instability or international crises that are not adequately resolved, the blame will land squarely on his shoulders. This may increase public discontent, in a view that consensus rule under the CPC is better than one man rule, with the last long term ruler, Mao Ze Dong, plunging the country into a decade of chaos and darkness.
Another fear is that in order to cater to nationalists and cement his own rule, as Putin has, he will aim to be increasingly assertive on the international stage, perhaps putting him into conflict with neighboring powers or the US. This would most likely happen in the later years of this term (2022-2023), during which the US will in all likelihood be sitting under a new president, who also would have to prove their strength, and would respond to Chinese aggression.
Staff Writer: Ari B