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After years of global crisis, Xi is stronger than ever

In 2017, Xi Jinping, the most powerful Chinese leader since Mao Zedong, delivered a message of unity. In 2022, he delivered a message of domination.

Five years after thousands of delegates last met to elect China’s leader, President Xi has asserted his authority over the party.

Chinese President Xi Jinping speaks at the opening ceremony of the 20th National Congress.credit:Getty Images

On Saturday night, in front of a delegation of 2,340, Xi sat alone on stage, saluting with a sea of ​​hands. They did the same again on Sunday when he gave a report on the activities of the Communist Party of China.

In 2017, China was “in the midst of profound and complex changes,” Xi said. “The outlook is bright, but the challenges are tough.”

That was before he crushed Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement and before China hit Australia with a $20 billion trade strike in 2020. This was before the People’s Liberation Army surrounded Taiwan and President Xi Jinping tacitly endorsed Putin’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. COVID-19 – A pandemic that has put China into a longer and harsher lockdown cycle than any other country. According to the World Bank, China’s economy grew her 7% in 2017, but this year she will be lucky to grow 2.8%.

But far from reeling Xi Jinping, the crisis-filled five years since the last National Party Congress have only made him stronger. “We have stood for China’s dignity,” Xi said on Sunday.

A delegation wearing masks attends the opening ceremony of the 20th National Congress of China's ruling Communist Party at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Sunday.

A delegation wearing masks attends the opening ceremony of the 20th National Congress of China’s ruling Communist Party at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Sunday.credit:APs

He is likely to secure a third term in office by the end of this week, the first since Mao Zedong in 1976, and along with Mao have imprinted his own “Xi Jinping Thought” into China’s constitution.

Xi spent more time on Sunday discussing national security and party theory than in previous reports, which tended to focus heavily on economic success. “Be prepared to withstand strong winds, rough seas and even dangerous storms,” ​​Xi said.

After years of global crisis, Xi is stronger than ever

Source link After years of global crisis, Xi is stronger than ever

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