China’s Communist Party endorses President Xi Jinping’s ‘core position’ Xi Jinping’s “core position” among the Chinese Communist Party’s leadership was endorsed on Saturday as the country’s president wrapped up a five-yearly conference that will almost certainly result in his winning an unprecedented third term in office. A unanimously approved resolution on alterations to the party charter mandates that all party members “uphold Comrade Xi Jinping’s core position on the Party Central Committee and in the Party as a whole.” With the announcement of significant political resolutions on the last day of an important political gathering, China’s president, Xi Jinping, has increased his influence as a figurehead and improved his standing within the history of the Communist party. The Communist Party (CCP) congress passed constitutional modifications on Saturday, including the so-called “Two Establishes” and “Two Safeguards,” which are meant to enshrine Xi as the party’s central figure and his political philosophy as its guiding doctrine. Around noon, as party leaders announced the approval of the revisions, which all but guaranteed that Xi would hold onto power for another term, Xi began his final speech. The reaffirmation of Xi, 69, as the party’s general secretary this weekend is widely anticipated, opening the door for him to win an unprecedented third term as Chinese president. Thousands of CCP delegates, purportedly speaking for the hundreds of millions of party members, gather in Beijing for the week-long conclave. The main objective is to Senior party job shuffles and constitutional amendments were probably settled upon long before the meeting even started. The encounter is heavily staged and takes place primarily in private. Hu Jintao, a previous leader, was hauled out of the chamber without explanation just before Xi’s address started. Since taking office in 2012, Xi has increased his personal power. He was instrumental in getting term limits eliminated in 2018. Before those modifications, Xi would have been stepping down as leader this week; now, however, he may hold the position for the rest of his life. Analysts are closely observing the ceremonies this weekend to find out if Xi will also be officially given the title of “People’s Leader,” an honorific that hasn’t been used since Mao Zedong. Delegates also agreed on Saturday to support Xi’s “work report,” which he delivered at the Congress’ beginning last Sunday and included an evaluation of the past term and a vision for the coming one. The 200 elite central committee members, who are party voting members, were also “re-elected” by the Congress, which concluded. The 25-member politburo, of which the seven most influential are selected to the politburo standing committee, is chosen by that committee (PSC). On Sunday, the PSC’s leadership team will be unveiled, including the general secretary with the highest ranking. The official affirmation of Xi’s retention of the general secretary position will be made known, often by the PSC members leaving the stage in a sequence of rank. Xi makes speech In one of the gathering’s final events, Xi gave an address that began around noon (0400 GMT) at Beijing’s Great Hall of the People. “Dare to work hard, dare to struggle, and dare to win. Be adamant about moving forward, “He informed the party supporters. A week of essentially rubber-stamp sessions with 2,300 party delegates, who were chosen by the party to endorse a change in its leadership, came to a close with his address. Hu Jintao was escorted out of the closing ceremony, which was an unexpected action for such a meticulously planned occasion. No official justification was provided. Without providing a complete roster of members, state media outlet Xinhua stated that shortly after 11 a.m. on Saturday, the new Central Committee of about 200 top Party officials was chosen. Delegates also approved a resolution on the Party’s constitution and Xi’s “work report,” both of which were delivered at the Congress’ start last Sunday. Xi will likely be introduced as general secretary on Sunday, just after the inaugural meeting of the new Central Committee, according to current expectations. As a result, Xi will be able to easily win re-election to a third term as China’s leader, which is scheduled to be revealed in March at the government’s annual parliamentary sessions. In order to be able to rule indefinitely, Xi already scrapped the two-term limit for president in 2018. The new Central Committee will also vote on the weekend to ratify a revised 25-member Politburo as well as a Politburo Standing Committee, which would consist of about seven members and will be dominated by supporters of Xi. Xi spoke for 105 minutes during the opening ceremony of the Congress, praising the party’s accomplishments while ignoring domestic issues like the sluggish economy and the harm caused by his strict zero-Covid policy. A defiant Xi also exhorted Communist Party members to arm themselves against multiple difficulties, including a tightening geopolitical climate, in a speech that was heavy on ideological rhetoric and low on policy. He said, “We must… be prepared to resist strong winds, rough seas, and even dangerous storms. “We have prioritized our national interests in the face of dramatic changes in the world scene, particularly external attempts to blackmail, contain, (and) blockade… China.” The address also had a strong security component, as Xi praised Hong Kong’s transformation from “chaos to governance” while pledging to “never commit to renouncing the use of force” to annex the independent island of Taiwan. Analysts predicted that Xi will almost certainly be reappointed for a third term in office, solidifying his status as China’s most powerful leader since Mao Zedong. According to David Bandurski, editor of the University of Hong Kong’s China Media Project, Xi’s work report “is a meticulously orchestrated scenario through which the power of the Party, its leader, and its beliefs are designed to be exalted and reinforced.” But there are still some important issues that need to be addressed, such as whether Xi, 69, will name a potential successor to the Politburo Standing Committee and whether a more moderate version of his distinctive political philosophy will be incorporated into the party charter of the 96-million-strong organization. In the latter case, Xi Jinping Thought would become the Chinese government’s official ideology, according to Steve Tsang, head of the University of London’s SOAS China Institute. According to Tsang, “Xi’s power will be akin to that of China’s ruler, and there will be little room for anyone to counsel him to try course correction.” “This will raise the possibility of policy errors because everything would hinge on Xi making the right decision,” Li Keqiang, the Chinese premier, leaves the leadership body As President Xi Jinping established authority over the second-largest economy in the world, Premier Li Keqiang abruptly resigned from the top leadership body of China. Li, 67, was not a part of the Communist Party’s new Central Committee, which consists of 200 people and is a prerequisite for admission to the more powerful Politburo and Standing Committee. That brings to an end Li’s decade as China’s No. 2 official and a long career that saw him briefly vie for president before losing out to Xi. Li was still young enough to serve a fourth term on the seven-member Politburo Standing Committee, despite having indicated earlier this year that he would leave his role as premier in March in accordance with the position’s two-term limit. At the conclusion of the party congress meeting in Beijing, Xi, 69, shattered the de facto retirement age limit of 68, breaking all previous precedents in the process. contender for the lead position Wang Yang, 67, also left early, making room for Xi supporters who were more willing to follow his instructions to fill the position. As Xi increased the party’s influence over the government in making policy, Li, a trained economist, saw his efforts to implement more liberal policies in some sectors thwarted. This division was one the party had emphasized after Mao Zedong’s erratic rule, which came to an end with his death in 1976. Chen Gang, assistant director of the East Asian Institute at the National University of Singapore, suggested that Li might be remembered as “one of the least strong premiers in recent Chinese history.” Though we hardly ever hear him criticized for his blunders or missteps, Chen said that in China politics always has the final say. “Li took office as premier when Xi Jinping was expanding his authority. Conflict existed between the state and the party. In China, the president acts as head of state while the premier directs the State Council and oversees all government ministries. Xi is the party’s leader and the military’s top commander.