China’s Communist Party Sixth plenum- Infinite term for President Xi Jinping
In the 19th central committee meeting held early November calls for a major long-term shift in the politics of China under the incumbent President Xi Jinping. Plenums are described as the annual meetings of CCP putting forward agendas for the coming year. This year’s meeting is extremely significant. A 5000 characters long communique named ‘Resolution on Major Achievements and Historical Experience of the Party over the Past Century’ was announced. Though it is about reminiscing the past and the praiseworthy contributions by dominant leaders but it also holds the key to China’s future. The resolution is quite significant as it is only the third such resolution passed in CCP’s 100 years history.
The first and second resolutions were announced under Mao Zedong in 1945 and Deng Xiaoping in 1981 which made them the invincible leaders of their generations. Resolution passed by Mao moved CCP away from Stalinist impressions and begin Mao’s dominance. Later the 1981 resolution marked distance from the exigencies of Maoism, fall out of the 1966 Cultural Revolution and one-man personality cult to initiate an era of reforms in China.
The latest communique stands out differently because it tries to bring out unity by acknowledging the actions of China’s past leadership and strengthens the position of President Xi in both Central committee and the CCP. The practical need of a new historical resolution is to “follow core leadership, bolster authority of CCP, gain consciousness for political integrity, beginning a journey towards a modern socialist country, self- reforming the party, determine CCP’s path for next few decades and continue to encourage people to realize the Chinese dream of national restoration”, party said [1].
The resolution passed in the 4 days conclave would further tighten the power of President Xi and ensure that his dominance is without any challenge as he begins a third term with 20th CCP National Congress in 2022. Though there wasn’t any official media coverage but the state-run media houses kept on reiterating achievements of President Xi and the party. It will embolden the works of President Xi and establish his status in the party as a ‘core’ leader on par with earlier legends like Mao and Deng. This move will end debates around legacies of Mao and Deng, with emphasis on party unity with President Xi at the helm and ensure an even greater political control under him. President Xi took over the reins in 2012, soon abolished 10 years term limitation and collective leadership model followed by Deng Xiaoping in the past. These changes marked a new era in China’s political space and the recent resolution also likely to mark a phase of country’s rejuvenation.
At this session, President Xi gave a speech on behalf of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the CCP. All the members unanimously agreed that the external environment has become too complex since the fifth plenum in 2020 due to an unprecedented corona virus pandemic. China suffered a lot on the economic and social development fronts. And President Xi stood sturdy to get the country through her hard times. All the party members want to learn lessons from the past of the party and pave the way for success in the future. Since its inception in 1921, CCP has strived to make people of the country satisfied and happy with their lives and uphold communist ideals and socialist convictions.
President Xi has attained unimaginable popularity due to his ideological contribution to the party called ‘Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era’ which has laid down the trajectory of Mao Zedong in 1945 and Deng Xiaoping in 1981 [2]. “China today is observing massive changes not seen in the past, thus needs a strong leader to hold the baton”, commented by the state-run Xinhua news agency. China has always tempted other countries and swayed them with her usage of fancy jargons. In the past it was Mao’s Thought and in present it is Xi’s Thought. CCP in the communique highlights the greatness of ‘Comrade’ Xi Jinping describing him as a ray of hope for China entering the new era which overshadows the periods of Jiang Zemin and Hu Jintao, China’s previous presidents.
The 370 members CCP central committee referred to President Xi as its ‘helmsman’, a title reserved only to great father of China Mao Zedong. Today China is not only growing rich but growing extremely strong under President Xi. CCP praises him to take China towards prosperity, strength and growing influence in global politics. He is the man of determination and action, of profound thoughts and feelings, a man who respects the past but dares to innovate and who has a forward-looking vision.
The rewriting of history is a tactic to refurbish popular opinion which has been used by Mao in the past and now repeated by President Xi. The recent communique has been engraved in the history of China which will be acknowledged by the future generations. It is believed by many scholars that President Xi treats Chinese nationalism as a weapon to illustrate the greatness of his country. He has propagated massive national jingoism to maintain unity among the people as a nation. To promote nationalism he has set aside big budget to promote ‘Red Tourism’ projects for people to connect back to the past i.e., communist revolution in China. State media propagated Marxism i.e., every social epoch needs it own great men and if there are no such men, it creates them and President Xi is the man [3]. President Xi has been applauded as a ‘Marxist politician, thinker, and strategist’ who has ‘immense political courage, intense sense of historical accountability and deep love for his people’, embodying the party’s quality of ‘not fearing a strong enemy, not fearing risks’ and ‘daring to fight and win’, by the People’s Daily [4].
An Indian scholar tells the tale about the past of President Xi. The man he is today is because of his father ‘Comrade’ Xi Zhongxun. He has seen the rise and fall of his father’s rank in the party. President Xi as a teenager was living in exile but always had strings attached to CCP. Following his father’s footsteps, he joined CCP and worked as a party secretary. With successive promotions, he became the first CCP General Secretary born after the establishment of People’s Republic of China in 1949 [5]. Since he undertook the Presidency in 2012, China has observed reforms on an enormous scale such as Eight-point regulation, wolf warrior diplomacy, targeted poverty alleviation and many more. On the other hand, many academic commentators view President Xi as a dictator or an authoritarian leader due to cult of personality developing around him, increased censorship and mass surveillance and suppression of human rights.
Previous leadership has always predicted the great rise of China and now President Xi is asserting that rise. In a video message delivered at APEC forum held in November, he said “Asian countries should avoid forming smaller groups indirectly attacking the existence of QUAD and AUKUS” [6]. President Xi has followed a bold and decisive foreign policy with the initiative of ‘One Belt One Road’ to strengthen economic influence; expanding maritime assertiveness in South China Sea, taking in possession various shoals and reefs and transforming them into artificial islands. Under his power play China has never backed down from a confrontation with the US on economic front. The country has rendered herself as a great economic equal to the US and a land of greater business opportunities. President Xi is also praised for his measures in controlling COVID- 19, eradicating poverty, attacking corruption and bolstering military. He holds and unites three power centers of the country – General Secretariat of CCP, Chairmanship of Central Military Commission and the Presidency. His efforts from all corners have overhauled China from a highly centralized planned economy into a socialist market economy brimming with vitality.
The communique at this session stated that “Comrade Xi Jinping, through meticulous assessment and deep reflection on a number of major theoretical and practical questions regarding the cause of the Party and the country in the new era, has set forth a series of original new ideas, thoughts, and strategies on national governance revolving around the major questions of our times which includes what kind of socialism with Chinese characteristics we should uphold and develop in this new era, what kind of great modern socialist country we should build, and what kind of Marxist party exercising long-term governance we should develop, as well as how we should go about achieving these tasks” [7]. A fellow from Brookings Institution commented that emphasis on CCP’s history means constructing the narrative right about party’s role in China’s development without which country would not have survived long standing challenges from the Western powers [8]. The central committee gambles great hopes and tremendous political valor with President Xi at its core and leading China in the years to come. President Xi will be revered and loved by the people and the party members the way forefather Mao Zedong was. He has successfully altered the constitution of China and can be recalled as a lifetime ruler beginning of a new chapter i.e., ‘Xi era 3.0’.
References:
[1] https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/history-lessons-the-hindu-editorial-on-shifting-chinese-politics-under-xi-jinping/article37494370.ece
[2] https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/chinas-communist-party-hails-helmsman-xi-after-historic-plenum/article37455108.ece
[3] https://www.cfr.org/in-brief/what-xi-jinpings-elevated-status-signals-chinese-foreign-policy?utm_source=li&utm_medium=social_owned
[4] https://www.reuters.com/world/china/chinas-communist-party-wrap-up-key-meeting-xi-strengthens-power-2021-11-10/
[5] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xi_Jinping
[6] https://news.cgtn.com/news/2021-11-12/Full-text-Xi-Jinping-s-speech-at-28th-APEC-Economic-Leaders-Meeting-158peKnNwGI/index.html
[7] https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/Full-text-of-Chinese-Communist-Party-s-6th-plenum-communique
[8] https://thediplomat.com/2021/11/chinas-sixth-plenum-report-proclaims-bright-future-under-xi/
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(The views expressed are those of the author and do not represent views of CESCUBE.)
