(HorizonPost.com) – Top officials in Beijing spent four days in a private meeting to pass a historic ruling on party history on November 11. The resolution lists the Communist Party’s major achievements and historical experience from the first 100 years of the nation’s founding, which happens in 2049. It also sets the stage for President Xi Jinping to continue his leadership until at least 2027 — perhaps indefinitely.
Although the party lore outlines the past, the plenum is about the future, according to the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation director at Harvard University, Tony Saich. He said that “tracing the continuity of the party” is a way to show that it was destiny for Xi to rule over China and remain a prominent figure.
Breaking With Tradition
The current leader is only one of three in China to write such a resolution on the past. The two other prominent names include Mao Zedong, who ruled for 27 years until his death, and his successor, Deng Xiaoping, who led for 11.
For the past 20 years, the Communist Party practice stated that any leader should step down after two 5-year terms, which would be 2022 for Xi. However, the party removed term limits in 2018, and the president announced he has the authority to ignore tradition and stay in power.
The historical account will likely emphasize the party’s economic successes while minimizing or eliminating any violence or alleged human rights abuses in the nation’s past. While the resolution doesn’t give Xi the authority to continue his rule, the sentiment will be that the Communist Party wants him to stay in his position to take China forward.
What This Means for China
While this may be good news for the current president and those who believe in Xi Jinping’s Thought for a New Era of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics, political scientists think a one-person rule is a bad idea. According to a November 11 report from NPR, their studies of other countries showed that the absence of systematic rotation leads to poor economic performance and decision-making.
As a follower of Karl Marx, Xi has ambitious plans that could significantly change Chinese society. They include addressing environmental degradation, problems with the property market, and excessive wealth. The leader is determined to prove that China’s authoritarian model and citizen control will beat democracy in tackling social ills.
One potential problem with Xi’s extended term, according to NPR, is that it may discourage younger party figures who hoped to climb up the ranks, stunting their ambition. Given that some think China’s president will continue to run the military, party, and state alone, it seems to back that thought process.
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