Chinese President Xi Jinping has won a third five-year term today, Friday, solidifying his grip on power as the most dominant leader in the country since Mao Zedong. The Chinese parliament, consisting of nearly three thousand members, unanimously voted in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing to elect Xi (69 years old) to head the country in an election devoid of any other candidates. Xi, who has moved China toward more authoritarian rule since taking office a decade ago, extends his tenure amid escalating tensions with Washington and the West over Taiwan, Beijing’s support for Russia, trade, and human rights.
Domestically, the world’s second-largest economy faces challenges in recovering from the strict COVID-19 restrictions imposed by Xi for three years, alongside weakened confidence among consumers and businesses, and declining global demand for Chinese exports. The Chinese economy only grew by three percent last year, one of the worst rates it has seen in decades, and Beijing has set a modest growth target of about five percent for this year.
Willy Lam, a researcher at the Jamestown Foundation, stated, "In his third term, Xi will need to focus on economic recovery. However, if he continues with what he has been doing by tightening party and state control over the private sector and confronting the West, his chances of success are not high." Xi paved the way for another term when he abolished the limits on presidential terms in 2018, becoming the strongest leader of China since Mao Zedong, the founder of the People’s Republic of China.
The presidential position in China is largely ceremonial, but Xi's powerful role was extended in October when he was re-elected as General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party for another five years.
**New Leadership List**
During today’s voting, Xi engaged in conversation with the incoming Premier Li Qiang, whose appointment to the second-highest position in the country is expected to be confirmed tomorrow, Saturday. This position will put the former Shanghai party official and Xi's close ally in charge of managing the economy. Other officials approved by Xi are also set to be elected or appointed to key governmental positions early next week, including Vice Premiers, the Governor of the People's Bank of China, and several ministers and officials.
The annual parliamentary session, the first since China ended its strict zero-COVID policy, will conclude on Monday. During today's session, Xi and dozens of other top leaders on the platform did not wear masks, but attendees in the hall adhered to wearing them. China abruptly ended its zero-COVID policy in December following largely unprecedented nationwide protests against these measures.
