Xi Jinping- Emperor of China Forever?

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Beijing- Xi Jinping is expected to win a third term in office as leaders of China’s ruling Communist Party meet for a twice-a-decade leadership reshuffle beginning on October 16, 2022.

Traditionally, after completing two five-year terms the leader passes the baton to a carefully chosen successor. However, it appears this time Xi Jinping may smash that precedent, taking on a third term as general secretary of the party, CNN reported.

His intentions to extend his time in power became clear in 2018 with the dismantling of the constitution’s two-term limit for the presidency. With this move, he cleared the way for him to take another five years as general secretary. He also did not appoint a successor at the 2017 congress. Thus, Xi, 69, who passed the party’s de facto retirement age in June, has no clear replacement.

If at the 20th Party Congress, he is able to secure a third term, it will start a new era of strongman rule in China, raising questions about the future of leadership in the country. To stay leader for life, he will need to keep securing five-year terms, under the current rules.

According to the Associated Press, some also believe that even if another person is selected to rule the country Xi would be the one whose orders would be followed.

Xi has been one of the most powerful and authoritarian leaders in China. His vision is based on a unified Chinese identity, where all citizens regardless of ethnicity are tied by cultural ties. According to The New York Times, this insistence on Chinese identity, at its extreme, has led to charges of cultural genocide from scholars and foreign countries, taking into consideration the mass detention of Uyghurs and other largely Muslim groups in Xinjiang.

During his rule he has been waging a sweeping crackdown to crush dissent. Recently, his zero-Covid policy has caused a lot of frustration among the public with continuous lockdowns impacting the economy and everyday lives of people.There is also a growing pressure on Xi to resolve the issue of Taiwan.

On Thursday, in a rare occurrence, a protest was carried out in Beijing against Xi Jinping and his policies as the public awaits a decision on his re-election, CNN reported.

There has also been an outpouring of anger online at strict security measures and the Covid restrictions put in place. Public protest against the top leadership is not a common sight in China, especially in the run-up to important political meetings. Thursday's protest also prompted a swift lockdown by censors on social media platforms and a person-- allegedly involved in the protest--  has been arrested, BBC reported.

Although the restriction on freedom of speech continues in China, with the glimpse of protest just days before Congress meeting raises the question whether Xi Jinping’s re-election would lead to more people speaking up or more voices being suppressed?

Xi Jinping's efforts to stay in power remind one of a similar move by Vladamir Putin last year when he signed the bill paving way for him to stay in office till 2036. Like Xi, Putin has been Russia’s one of the most powerful leaders since he assumed power in 2000.

If Putin remains in power until 2036, his tenure will surpass even that of Joseph Stalin, who ruled the Soviet Union for 29 years, making Putin the longest-serving Moscow leader since the Russian empire. Putin's critics called it a constitutional coup, designed to make him “president for life.”

Thus, both Putin and Xi reflect the tendency of authoritarian leaders who would hang onto power for as long as possible. And when it comes to influencing international events, as stated in the Associated Press, both the countries are on another level — China through its economic might and rising military, Russia through its willingness to insert itself into conflicts.

In addition to Xi and Putin, the idea of an authoritative role for a lifetime has been reflected in the roles of Kim Jong Un in North Korea and Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Iran. As we witness the authoritarian leaders making efforts to stay in power for life, the question to raise is what would it mean for the international politics? How much of a challenge is it to Western models and multiparty democracy?

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