Xi Jinping Becomes China’s Timeless President
Xi Jinping was reappointed Saturday as China’s president with no limit on the number of terms he can serve, and his close ally Wang Qishan appointed as the formerly ceremonial post of vice president.
Xi Jinping was reappointed Saturday as China’s president with no limit on the number of terms he can serve, and his close ally Wang Qishan appointed as the formerly ceremonial post of vice president.
At the Great Hall of the People, Xi, Wang and other officials took turns stepping to the lectern to place their left hands on the constitution and raise their right fists as they delivered an oath swearing loyalty to the constitution, the motherland and the people.
According to CBS, Xi, 64, is considered the most powerful Chinese leader since Mao Zedong and last Sunday was given the right to continue in office indefinitely after the legislature scrapped term limits for the president and vice president.
Meanwhile, critics say the move overturning a push to institutionalize China’s ruling practices dating from 1982 will likely lead to increased political repression and possible infighting among party factions seeking to promote their own candidates within the closed system.
Xi is expected to expand his years-long campaign against corruption within the party to include all state employees through the creation of a new National Supervisory Commission, while continuing to pursue a muscular foreign policy and policies to upgrade the slowing economy.
