China To Change Constitution, Allowing Xi To Stay In Power Forever

In an announcement that was already expected by the general public and largely a forgone conclusion, China's Communist Party has officially cleared the way for President Xi Jinping to rule as emperor for life by announcing on Sunday that it intends to abolish a two-term constitutional limit on the presidency.

China

The change to the country's constitution follows the decision during last October's National People's Congress to enshrine Xi's name in the country's constitution (see "Xi Could Rule For "Decades" As China's New Leadership Team Unveiled"), making him the first living leader to be granted such an honor.

In addition, the Party's appointments to the Politburo lacked a clear successor to Xi, another sign that he intends to seek a third term after the conclusion of his second term, which has only just begun.

As the NYT reports, citing local media, the Central Committee approved the amendments to the Constitution at a meeting last month. But the vague official announcement released at that time did not hint at the momentous expansion of Mr. Xi’s presidential power, which was kept secret until Sunday.

In another victory for Mr. Xi, the draft amendments to the Constitution would also add his trademark expression for his main ideas - "Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era" - into the preamble of the Constitution, as well as adding a nod to the ideological contributions of his predecessor, Mr. Hu.

The amendments are almost certain to be passed into law by the party-controlled legislature, the National People’s Congress, which holds its annual full session from March 5. The congress has never voted down a proposal from party leaders.

"Sunday’s move will make Mr. Xi much more powerful than he already was, and will dampen any remnants of resistance to his rule", said Zhang Baohui, professor of international affairs at Lingnan University in Hong Kong.

"Once people know he will serve for who knows how long, it will strengthen his power and motivate everybody to bandwagon with him," said Mr. Zhang. "Any rival will think he will be almighty."

In other words, "Dear Leader" has returned.

* * *

This historic shift was predicted by many since last fall, when Xi refused to appoint a successor as his power would begin to wane in a year or two as he entered what would've been a lame duck period for his presidency - the second half of his second term.

At the same party congress, Mr. Xi conspicuously broke with precedent by choosing not to name a pair of much younger officials to the Politburo’s ruling inner circle, the seven-member standing committee, to serve as his heirs-in-waiting. Instead, Mr. Xi chose men — no women — who were closer to his own age or older.

Mr. Xi’s strongman style has been compared to that of the Russian president, Vladimir V. Putin. But even Mr. Putin, who has amassed considerable personal power, did not try to erase his country’s constitutional limit on serving more than two consecutive terms as president as he approached that limit in 2008.

Instead, he arranged for a close adviser with limited personal influence, Dmitri A. Medvedev, to serve as president for a single term while Mr. Putin held the post of prime minister. Mr. Putin then returned to the presidency in 2012, and is running this year for re-election to another term.

Mr. Xi may now have even greater power, and the question will be how he chooses to use it.

"Xi Jinping is susceptible to making big mistakes because there are now almost no checks or balances," said Willy Lam, an adjunct professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong who is the author of a biography of Mr. Xi in 2015. "Essentially, he has become emperor for life."

In another Xi-approved break with tradition, Wang Qishan, a close ally of the president's who helped carry out Xi's campaign against corruption and disloyalty in the party, appears set to return to power as vice president. Wang, 69, stepped down from a party position last year because of his age.

The announcement sheds new light on Xi's decision to send to Liu He - one of his closest advisers and the most likely candidate to take over the PBOC later this year - to Washington on Tuesday. Instead of a trip to argue against Trump's toughening stance on free trade, Liu may be heading to Washington to explain Xi's decision to the Trump administration.

In kneejerk response, some China commentators had rather harsh words for the dramatic china, with WSJ commentator Li Yuan noting that "even though this has been talked about for a few years, it still feels like one man’s Pearl Harbor attack on the whole country."

As Yuan also notes, the local reaction to the news was also notable, with Baidu searches for "migration" spiking shortly after the news came out at 4pm local time.

 

During his time as president, Xi has launched grandiose initiatives like the "One belt, one road" initiative to build a modern Silk Road that would cement China's position as a global hegemon to rival the US.

...Or as Ian Bremmer, founder and president of Eurasia Group, puts it...

 

Comments

caconhma directaction Sun, 02/25/2018 - 10:25 Permalink

Xi as a king could be expected since his family members were Chairman Mao's very close associates.

On another side, we know where it will end: just look at North Korea. 

As for Trump as a king, just imaging bimbo Ivanka as a queen and scumbag Kushner as a Zio Grand Duke of New York. Disgusting!

In reply to by directaction

GUS100CORRINA Silver Swan Sun, 02/25/2018 - 10:00 Permalink

China To Change Constitution, Allowing Xi To Stay In Power Forever

My response: Absolute power corrupts absolutely!! Without checks and balances, a nation can and does fall off the cliff. Go read George Washington's prophetic farewell address.

Does indeed look like CHINA is becoming a lot less democratic and a lot more of a dictatorship under authoritarian rule.

The year 2018-19 should be very interesting on the trade front.

In reply to by Silver Swan

Polynik3s FreeShitter Sun, 02/25/2018 - 10:08 Permalink

Keeping Putin has worked out very well for Russians and the anti-NWO confederation.

Let's see how this one ends up. Chinese are too numerous to ever rule like humans. Unlike ideal democracies less than 20 million in Scandinavia, China govt. will never treat people with human respect.

Think of a house with 2 dogs call it Denmark. Multiple that 2 dogs by 233. The house of China has 466 dogs. What owner will ever rule over 466 dogs with any affection?

In reply to by FreeShitter

Polynik3s FreeShitter Sun, 02/25/2018 - 10:24 Permalink

CIA should be the first agency to be dismantled and hang half of them for treason. FBI should be second on the list.

We will never be able to abolish the Rothschild Central Bank, remove Mossad terrorists that did 911/Boston bombing, remove compromised politicians, or end fake War On Terror with the existing Judas State in FBI and CIA.

CIA has soldiers that would not allow dimantling of the Bank of Zionists without a fight. So the CIA must be fought.

In reply to by FreeShitter

merizobeach Dragon HAwk Sun, 02/25/2018 - 10:17 Permalink

We tried term limits on Congress: I never saw a more popular ballot initiative in all the years and states I worked in that industry, and term limits initiatives passed almost every time they made a state ballot, in every form and iteration; but we can all thank former Speaker Tom Foley for effectively nullifying the movement when he sued his constituents in 1993.  Ironically, and the only small consolation that comes from that action, is that it very likely ended Foley's congressional career two terms earlier than if he'd let the law stand as it was passed by the voters.  Of course, he then immediately became the highest-paid lobbyist in D.C., so he still gets the last laugh--even after his previous last laugh from disenfranchising and destroying the democratically determined will of the voters of WA.  The swamp always wins.

In reply to by Dragon HAwk

rwe2late Archive_file Sun, 02/25/2018 - 10:23 Permalink

 USA already

"emergency authority" &

undeclared wars, indefinite detention, torture.

 

 elections? The oligarchy's vetted candidates for

who can best control the mass-ass.

Best chosen at

4-year intervals by the masses based on the dumbest of lies,

the dumbest of reasons, and the dumbest of divisive prejudices.

 

In reply to by Archive_file

RumpleShitzkin Sun, 02/25/2018 - 09:59 Permalink

What’s great about Constitutions is that you can just change shit on the fly and a whim.

 

‘Think of them a just helpful suggestions you are completely free to fucking ignore and the only bulletproof government frameworks are global ones that supersede all national constitutions.

 

what a load of horseshit we’re fed. I dare anyone here to crack wise about the chinks on this.

At least they ‘changed’ theirs to fit the tyranny de jour. Ours is simply ignored, which is far worse.

NumberNone Sun, 02/25/2018 - 10:01 Permalink

The bastions of free and open speech at Google, Facebook, Apple, Twitter, et al took notes when they suppressed dissenting voices in China for Xi that they are now applying to conservatives in the US.