At the Chinese Communist Party Congress, Xi Jinping made it clear who is in charge of the country. The 69-year-old president is serving an unprecedented third term. His iron grip on the party and the country will only expand further, experts tell NU.nl. All to make the dream of a great China come true.
It was the most striking moment during the Chinese Communist Party congress. Former President Hu Jintao was practically dragged from his chair in front of the cameras and led out of the room. Xi remained impassive, trying his best to ignore the scene as much as possible. But it was a clear message to everyone: the president has the party in an iron grip.
“Xi shows that he and no one else is in charge. It all depends on his approval,” said Frank Pieke, a professor at the East Asian Institute in Singapore. “Hu was a protector of the people within the party who did not owe their position to Xi, but who worked with him. It is unique how he was publicly pilloried. It is a signal to everyone.”
Ingrid d’Hooghe, China Center coordinator of the Clingendael research institute, highlights the changes within the party leadership. “Xi has changed the power structure, not least because she is now working on a single third term. She has further manipulated the party by putting even more supporters in key positions.”
In recent months, Pieke has seen senior members of the party leadership criticize, among other things, the crown’s strict policy. “But Xi has decided that it is enough. It is no longer enough to put his confidants in high positions. She wants to take the criticism off the podium and make it clear that I am really completely offside.”
D’Hooghe: “There are no more people in the party who publicly think very differently from Xi. It is a clear message that he is the leader. And that there is less and less room for other ideas, criticisms and debates.”
Xi will remain his own successor for the time being
Pieke believes that China has entered a new era under Xi. “China is now really moving towards a dictatorship under Xi, as the Soviet Union was under Joseph Stalin. Everything is becoming more and more tightly controlled under the party, with Xi as the main man.”
The professor points out that Xi is not as guilty of mass murder as Stalin. “This is not necessary in China today. There are many other means of keeping politics and society in check.”
According to D’Hooghe, Xi is convinced that only he can lead China towards a “glorious future”. “This was also often reflected in the report on the last party congress. It was very flourished on all kinds of obstacles that need to be overcome. And this is only possible with a strong leader.”
Pieke predicts that Xi will also want a fourth term as party leader. But the president does not consider himself to be greater than the party. “Xi ties politics to the party, not to himself. I wouldn’t be surprised if in 2027 he says he needs another term. But after he’ll be 79 and his health isn’t that good.”
Xi Jinping receives applause from his party members in the Communist Party Congress.
Xi Jinping receives applause from his party members in the Communist Party Congress.
Photo: Getty Images
Xi’s vision
The party congress report also described the future that Xi has in mind. “The most important thing is that the party remains strong. Moreover, China does not want to be rejected by the West. In all decisions, what it means to national security is taken into account,” sums up Pieke.
Above all, Xi has in mind that China will (again) play a dominant role in the world. The country has everything a superpower needs except experience, according to both experts.
“For example, China does not believe it is ready to intervene in Taiwan yet. They still do not have that self-confidence. It would also result in heavy sanctions by Europe and the United States, which will hit China hard. That’s why China does. strives to become self-sufficient in order to be, ”says d’Hooghe.
Pieke: “Economically, socially, militarily and politically, everything is in its place. But China doesn’t have a strategy yet. The country really has no idea what it wants to achieve. They still don’t have the imagination of what they can do with that. power, like the Americans have.
The Chinese economy is growing much slower
The Chinese economy appears to be stalling after years of enormous growth. Both Pieke and d’Hooghe see that growth is held back rather than stimulated by current government policy. Xi is not in favor of more freedom in the market. He wants to further strengthen state control. This is exactly what limits China’s development as a country.
“This miraculous growth was expected to eventually stabilize. But there are major concerns about the speed at which that growth is now declining,” says d’Hooghe. “This is partly due to the still tight corona measures, which inhibit economic development. There is no reason to think they will be adjusted quickly.”
Pieke: “There are plans to develop the economy further. But this will only happen within what the party leadership deems necessary. China has the potential to grow much further. The question is whether the Communist Party under Xi can Do it. And if they nominate the right people for it, or just friends of Xi. “
