BEIJING: Chinese President Xi Jinping is all set for an unprecedented third five-year term as he was elected to the ruling Communist Party’s powerful Central Committee on Saturday, leaving several top leaders, including Premier Li Keqiang, in a shambles. Was given – up above. Once in five years, Congress concluded its week-long session by electing 205 regular Central Committee members and 171 alternate members. Xi, 69, was elected to the central committee, which will meet on Sunday to elect the 25-member political bureau, which in turn will choose seven or more members on the standing committee to govern the country.
The Standing Committee will in turn elect the General Secretary, who will be the head of the party and the country. Observers said here that with his election to the central committee, Xi is set to become general secretary. As he prepares for a record third term and perhaps for life, Xi has further cemented his power with many of his colleagues. to the Central Committee
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several names, notably Premier Lee K, 67; National People’s Congress president Li Zhanshu, 72; Wang Yang, 67, president of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference; And Vice-Premier Han Zheng, 68, was conspicuously missing from the Central Committee list.
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, proponent of economic reforms, among 4 top officials removed from Communist Party leadership, reports AP – Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) 22 October 2022
They are all part of the outgoing seven-member standing committee headed by Xi.
Both Li and Wang are considered liberals. Li, who has driven the Chinese economy for the past ten years, has already announced his decision to step down as premier, although he is a year short of the party’s official retirement age of 68.
Among other notables, Foreign Minister and State Counselor Wang Yi was elected to the Central Committee, while former Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi was ousted. After the standing committee election on Sunday, Xi is due to appear before the media along with the new team, who have been kept in closed-loop COVID quarantine at a hotel here.
Xi, who is completing a 10-year term this year, will be the first Chinese leader to remain in power since party founder Mao Zedong, who succeeded three decades of rule by his predecessors, retiring after two five-year terms. will end
Observers say the new term will inspire him to remain in power for the rest of his life, like Mao.
Congress also passed several important resolutions during its concluding session, including amending its constitution to give Xi more powers.
Ahead of the 20th Congress, Beijing saw rare public protests by hanging banners on overpasses of major streets, protesting Xi’s unpopular zero-COVID policy and authoritarian regime.