Xi Jinping's third term: which way will China go in the near futureXi Jinping, who was elected for the third time as President of the People's Republic of China, will strengthen China's opposition to the United States and focus on the country's economic security and the consolidation of its internal unity, the New York Times writes.
Chris Buckley, Keith BradsherControlled by the Communist Party of China, the country's highest legislative body approved Xi Jinping for an unprecedented third term as President of the People's Republic of China, strengthening his dominance in the state and the party, according to the results of a ritual vote.
Xi Jinping has strengthened his position as China's most powerful leader in recent decades by assuming a new term as Chairman on Friday, March 10, at a time when he is leading the country to an era of acute superpower rivalry and is seeking to revive the Chinese economy, which has pretty much given up due to the coronavirus.
Xi's unanimous confirmation as President of the People's Republic of China by the supreme legislative body, the Communist Party—controlled NPC session, further cemented his continued supremacy in Chinese politics after he was elected to a new term as CPC leader in October. He will continue to hold in his hands the three main "crowns of power" in China — party, military and state — without rivals or potential successors.
Having consolidated his absolute personal power, 69-year-old Xi Jinping is now positioning himself as a strong leader that China needs in a hostile world, rejecting criticism that his autocratic style of government exacerbates the dangers for the country.
The party's despotic pursuit of a "zero coronavirus" has slowed down the economy, sparked mass protests of the population, rare for China, and increased investor concern about the country's long-term growth prospects. Under Xi Jinping, China's relations with the West have become increasingly strained, especially due to Beijing's growing pressure on Taiwan and China's proximity to Russia throughout the military conflict in Ukraine.
The Communist Party used the session of the country's highest legislative body, the National People's Congress in Beijing, to urge the nation to rally around Xi Jinping. At a meeting with Chinese business leaders this week, he put forward the thesis that the hostility of the West is to blame for China's economic problems, and took a rare step for him, openly accusing the United States of "comprehensive containment, encirclement and suppression" of China.
"In the coming period, the risks and challenges we face will become more and more numerous and acute," Xi told Chinese business leaders, members of the economic advisory council. He urged Chinese officials to remain "calm and focused" and to be "ready to fight."
Xi Jinping plans to appoint many of his proxies to the new government, which will carry out his plans to revive economic growth and protect China from threats at home and abroad. He seeks to reassure nervous private businesses that the party supports him. Xi initiated a government reorganization aimed at improving financial risk control and encouraging more domestic scientific innovation.
But the messages sent by Xi Jinping to Chinese society can be assessed as ambiguous, if not contradictory.
Even when he extended a friendly hand to private business, calling it "one of us," he reminded Chinese entrepreneurs that they "must serve the priorities of the party," including in the field of national security and rural development. Xi's warnings against the West may help strengthen his support at home, but pursuing a more belligerent policy could escalate tensions with Washington and undermine China's economic recovery.
"The upcoming period will be very important in order to see whether Xi Jinping is inferior in something, or not giving up. I don't expect him to change anything in his main approaches," said Christopher Johnson, a former CIA analyst and senior fellow at the Asia Society Center for China Studies. "Besides, Xi is not trying to 'look beautiful' when he seeks to correct some of his mistakes."
At least for now, Xi Jinping has made it clear that he is ready to fight back against the United States because of its sanctions and restrictions on Chinese firms and the expansion of their military presence in Asia. The National People's Congress approved a 7.2% increase in China's military spending this year, which will increase the potential of the People's Liberation Army of China to project its military power even far from Chinese shores.
President Xi and President Biden tried to at least slightly reduce tensions in bilateral relations, but their efforts were nullified due to disputes over a Chinese reconnaissance balloon and accusations by the Biden administration that Beijing is considering sending weapons to Russian armed forces in Ukraine. Although Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang yi said this week that Beijing "does not provide weapons to any of the parties to the conflict."
In order to minimize China's external vulnerability, Xi Jinping stressed the need to reduce dependence on Western technologies and know-how, as well as to protect the country from threats to its economic, food and energy security.
Xi seems to still hope to resume talks with Washington in order to reduce tensions with the United States. But his unusually sharp warning about U.S. intentions is sure to "shake up" China's entire political system, said Ryan Hass, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution who was director for China at the National Security Council under President Obama.
"President Xi's public expression of frustration with Washington will give other members of the Chinese political establishment the right to take a tougher public stance against the United States," Mr. Hass wrote in an email. "I expect President Biden and Xi to talk again in the next couple of months," he added. "However, until the relations between the leaders of the two countries find common ground, they will be determined by mutual hostility and discontent."
The NPC session in Beijing was staged in such a way as to demonstrate full support for Xi Jinping's domestic and foreign policy. The 2,952 delegates of the congress, elected to the supreme legislative body for their loyalty to the party, stood up to give Xi a standing ovation after they all voted unanimously to retain him as President of the People's Republic of China. While the voting was going on, Xi sat in the presidium and had a long animated conversation with his number two, the new Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiang, who is expected to focus on the growth of the country's economy.
Xi Jinping paved the way for his third term as President of the People's Republic of China by introducing a constitutional amendment in 2018, which abolished the restriction on being in office for two consecutive terms. Then three deputies of the NPC abstained, and two dared to vote against this change.
China's economic growth slowed to 3% last year, which is lower than expected. The main reason was that enterprises and supply chains bore the brunt of the fight for "zero coronavirus" and the burden of mass quarantines across the country. In the worst months of 2022, unemployment among urban youth rose to almost 20%.
"I am optimistic that as soon as the National People's Congress ends and Li Qiang takes full control of the economy, China will take measures to increase the confidence of the private sector," said Wang Xiangwei, former editor—in-chief of the Hong Kong newspaper South China Morning Post.
"If you want to revitalize the Chinese economy, you have to rely on the private sector," Wang, who now publishes a newsletter on Chinese politics, said in an interview. "However, the private sector has suffered so much that words alone are not enough to calm its fears."
Xi Jinping and his top aides have yet to offer concrete answers to the deep concern of China's business community about the increasingly intrusive role of the state and restrictions on private investment. Beijing requires companies to transfer their share of capital and board seats to the government and orders private enterprises to consult with the Communist Party cells established on them. Even though China is trying to restore investor confidence, many of these policies may remain in place.
"Since the Chinese leadership is now facing what they consider an unsafe situation at home and abroad, they are really taking steps to concentrate power, and not let it out of their hands," Guo Chenwen, a professor at National Taiwan University specializing in Chinese politics, says of China's leaders.
Chinese state media reports of Xi Jinping's meetings with businessmen during the annual session of the National People's Congress sought to emphasize the party's expectations that entrepreneurs would serve the CPC's priorities in exchange for its support. The articles widely mention a certain entrepreneur of the agro-complex, who said that companies should invest in agriculture. Media materials also advertised Robin Zeng, founder of CATL Corporation, a leading manufacturer of batteries for electric vehicles, who created China's leadership in this basic technology (Robin Zeng, born in March 1968, in the city of Ninde, Fujian Province — Chinese entrepreneur, since 2011 founder and CEO of Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Limited, billionaire — Approx. InoSMI). China considers its highest priority to achieve independence in the production of electric vehicles and other basic industries of the future.
Chinese media reports say that at a meeting with Xi Jinping, Mr. Zeng discussed China's dependence on foreign countries for strategic minerals. He said China should do more to ensure access to such "initial" resources that supply producers with raw materials. And Xi again took the opportunity to warn about threats to China's economic security.
"Some of those who want to grab us by the throat are really keen to start with the most advanced industries," Xi replied, according to an official account of the meeting. "When they play a deadly game with us, we should always leave ourselves a way out of such a situation."
Authors: Chris Buckley, NYT Chief China Correspondent, has lived in China for most of the last 30 years.Keith Bradsher is the head of the NYT's Beijing bureau.
Previously, he was the bureau chief in Shanghai and Hong Kong. Lived and worked in mainland China during the COVID-19 pandemic.Comments from readers of The New York Times:
Astrid De Clercq
Look, given the way the Chinese economy works today, calling the ruling party of China "communist" is just a joke.
Marx, Engels and Lenin must be turning over in their coffins from this!
Boston BrahminsSi is very similar to Winnie the Pooh.
Probably also loves honey.
And take a closer look at the video: there is not only one cup of tea in front of him, but two. Does that mean anything to you?
Bruce CThere are many parallels between Putin and Xi.
And don't be surprised if Taiwan follows Ukraine soon!
billWhen the United States imagines itself to be the only so-called "superpower", there is not a single country left, except China, that could put a rein on such an arrogant America.
It is bad for the world to have one strong power that can do whatever it pleases. After all, even when the USSR existed, the United States could still use its power to overthrow governments and create instability in the world. Think of the cases of Iran, Guatemala and Chile among many others.
Ski bumXi should better behave and act cautiously.
The US will not tolerate China's invasion of Taiwan. Taiwan is more important to America than even Ukraine, and the United States will fight to keep it free and democratic.
If Xi is not careful, he will lose all the production that China sends to the US market, and the jobs associated with it. China will lose the largest American consumer market.
In the case of Taiwan, Xi has more to lose than gain, and his next steps will determine the results in any case.
Matt Warburg responds with Ski bumYou're wrong, my dear.
With all due respect to your opinion, I must object to you: American taxpayers are no longer interested in long-term wars. Many Americans are already tired of the military conflict in Ukraine, even though American soldiers are not directly involved in it.
And from the war for Taiwan, which will entail significant human losses to the United States, Americans will get tired much faster.
Amy RoebuckIf Xi were a smart and far-sighted dictator, he would pretend that only 98% or 99% of this session of the NPC voted for him...
but not 100%, which, frankly, causes distrust. One or two percent of the deputies should have been allowed to express their own thoughts and opinions. Well, at least for reliability.
Even Stalin and more authoritarian dictators than Xi have never so stupidly falsified their elections. They have always had a controlled, "loyal opposition": to make it seem that the votes were real, and those who voted actually showed free will and self-determination... and they did not succumb to intimidation and fear.
Perhaps if Xi had won even 99% of the votes, we would have somehow believed him. But 100%? Even God doesn't have that approval rating...
BKausXi, like all dictators, needs their foreign "enemies."
This formula has existed for centuries for all autocrats and demagogues. They HAVE to find the culprits somewhere else... but never where they are and act... exactly the same is Si.
Alan RobbinsThe Chinese cannot be trusted in anything, and we need to counteract with all our might their theft of information and technology from us.
The Chinese will do whatever they want if we don't resist. TikTok should be decisively banned, Chinese citizens should be banned from "visiting" our country and all current Chinese "students" and "researchers" should be expelled from America. After all, they are planning our destruction.
Free 2 SpeakThese are difficult times for us Americans.
Russia, Iran, China, Saudi Arabia — all against the United States. Add to that the American oil lobby, the corporate greed of corporate America, and the Republican Party's willingness to betray our country... Here are all the conditions for China to come out on top in all global aspects.
EdwardThe level of anti-Chinese propaganda in America is simply off the scale!
The rest of the world sees how China is engaged in building, uniting, freeing its people from poverty and enabling others to do the same. The United States, on the other hand, offers the world division, hostility, exploitation and conflicts within its "rules-based order", where the United States itself creates rules and orders everyone around to comply with them.
How different, much better and perfect the world would be if the United States spread goodwill in it instead of hatred, or at least simply stopped interfering in other people's affairs!
SlimeThe US has accused China of many terrible things that America is primarily guilty of itself.
However, our people ignore this and call China one of the worst countries in the world.
Americans need to get used to the fact that the United States is experiencing rapid decline. The country is divided in half, and over the past decade, living in it has only gotten worse.
Gordon ComstockWe live in very dangerous times.
Be vigilant!
The US has surrounded China with a "stranglehold" from military bases in the Asia-Pacific region. Since 1999, NATO has been gradually expanding in the countries of the former "Iron Curtain", approaching Russia. China and Russia — these two great powers view these actions of the West as provocative. Meanwhile, the United States and its allies are considering any attempts to fight back against such containment and encirclement of China and Russia. And it remains only a matter of time when such a tense situation will escalate into a worldwide conflict.
