THE SQUIZ
Chinese President Xi Jinping will serve a historic 3rd term in the nation’s top job – an anticipated outcome of the Chinese Communist Party’s week-long meeting in Beijing that wrapped up yesterday. To get technical about it, what’s happened is Xi was confirmed as the party’s ongoing general secretary, which means he will continue to be the president of China – a position that will be confirmed with a vote of the legislature in March. Xi also retains the post of chairman of the Central Military Commission, which means he’s in charge of China’s People’s Liberation Army. After overturning the party’s 2-term leadership rule, Xi is the most powerful Chinese leader since founder Mao Zedong.

GEE THAT’S A SURPRISE…
Mmm hmm… Also not high on the shock register are the men – because they’re all men – who will support him. Li Qiang is the man expected to become China’s Premier/Xi’s #2 – he had the honour of walking onto the stage after Xi for yesterday’s unveiling of the 7-member Politburo Standing Committee. Li is the party’s chief in Shanghai and was Xi’s chief of staff when he was the party’s most senior rep in Zhejiang province. Li’s rise is notable because he was a focus of criticism over Shanghai’s harsh 2-month COVID lockdown earlier this year, and as the man who will be responsible for China’s economy, there are some questions about whether he’s up to it. “For all its other faults, China’s Communist Party had prided itself on being a meritocracy, but this appointment would seem to fly in the face of that,” one commentator said.

SO WHAT’S IT ALL MEAN?
It means that Xi has locked down his authority over the party – and China. By stacking the nation’s most powerful decision-making bodies with loyalists and allies, Xi has removed any resistance to his agenda on the domestic and international fronts. Speaking of power moves, former president Hu Jintao’s removal from the stage on Saturday has raised all sorts of questions… Yesterday, Xi thanked his supporters and said he would pursue “the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts”. But academic Yang Zhang says “Xi’s full control means his team will be fully responsible for any policy mistake … His autocracy may provoke stronger international pushback from the US-led Western countries. All of these scenarios will make his third and likely fourth terms not as easy as expected.” With great power comes great responsibility…