History has been made in China after it was confirmed that President Xi Jinping will remain in power - breaking with a decades-long precedent that limits the terms of Chinese leaders.
Having ruled China for 10 years already, Mr Xi will now stay on for at least another five-year term - and he could, in theory, make himself leader for life.
The break with tradition makes him the most powerful leader in China since Chairman Mao and his vision has become increasingly unchallengeable.
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The confirmation came at the end of the week-long 20th Party Congress of the Communist Party of China.
The event happens once every five years and has the central purpose of selecting the people who will sit at the top leadership roles for the next five years.
This includes the two groups seen as the apex of political power in China - the 25-strong Politburo and the Politburo Standing Committee that is made up of seven people, including the president.
The new standing committee was revealed as President Xi led them on stage in rank order. His leadership of the procession served as the confirmation he will remain as the general secretary of the party. His official confirmation as president will happen in March.
The two-term limit on Chinese presidents was introduced in the early 1980s after Chairman Mao's death.
Mao's nearly 30-year rule bought great chaos, violence and instability to China - and the idea was to move to a more "collective leadership" model and ensure power could never again be so centralised in the hands of one person.
In 2018, Mr Xi successfully removed the two-term limit from the constitution, paving the way for the consolidation of his power this weekend.
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There have been other constitutional amendments made this week to further highlight the "core" status of Mr Xi at the centre of the party.
Changes to the Politburo Standing Committee also suggest he has become increasingly unchallengeable.
Two figures in particular, Li Keqiang and Wang Yang, are notable in their demotion from the standing committee. Both are young enough to serve another term and are reportedly more reform-leaning, but neither are considered to be arch Xi loyalists.
With two other retirements, there were four new faces on the top team. All four are men considered to be within Mr Xi's inner circle. All have worked closely with him at various points in his career and are likely considered highly trusted.
It represents Mr Xi stuffing the standing committee with his closest allies and seems to offer little in the way of an olive branch to other wings of the party.
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There also was no obvious successor in the standing committee line-up. A designated successor is usually anyone on that team who is young enough to serve one term in waiting and two terms as leader all before the retirement age of 68, but there was no one of that age.
This indicates Mr Xi may indeed intend to stay on for another 10 years or longer.
His consolidated position matters enormously in China and around the world because it means his vision for the country is here to stay.
Under his leadership, China has become increasingly rich and strong. His ultra-nationalist vision has made it more assertive of the foreign stage and unapologetic about its ascendency.
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But in his ten years in power President Xi has also centralised much of the power within the state and the party under his control. He has purged rivals and stifled dissent.
People in China are under increasingly heavy surveillance and censorship, while journalists, lawyers and civil society groups have largely been silenced.
In his speech he spoke about his ambition for a "great rejuvenation" of China but repeated mentions of a "dangerous storm" and "choppy waters" ahead which may concern some international observers.
Experts say it would now take a political earthquake to unseat him, something that feels increasingly unlikely.
Zhao16 on October 23rd, 2022 at 05:34 UTC »
What is equally interesting, but not discussed as much is the "Standing Committee." When Xi took his third term, he also selected a new Politburo Standing Committee, which will lead the government policy. A couple of interesting points from his new standing committee
No successor - There is no clear nominee that meets the age and positional requirement to succeed Xi Jinping. Not super shocking, but does indicate the Xi intends to go beyond 3 terms.
Removal of Li Keqiang - Li Keqiang was the former Premier under Xi, and the de facto number two of the government. Li was in favour of economic liberalization and was seen as pragmatist party member. With his removal, the government will likely become more hardline.
Li Keqiang's replacement for Premier is Li Qiang (names sound similar, their record is very different). Li Qiang oversaw the brutal Shanghai lockdowns. He is also a vocal Xi Jinping cheerleader, and a potential yes man. Contrasted from Li Keqiang that would vocalize different ideas from Xi.
Politburo Standing Committee departures also include liberal reformers like Wang Yang and Han Zheng. The only 2 people to remain on the Standing Committee are the hardliners Wang Huning and Zhao Leji. That means less opening of economy and likely more crackdowns.
New additions to the politburo are all conservative hardliners and Xi loyalists. We have shift from a mix of conservative and reformers. Most of the new members have worked directly under Xi.
I think media will cover Xi's unprecedented third term, and not enough attention is going to be given to the men standing behind him that will be running the day-to-day government. We have a more conservative Chinese government that will likely be more Hawk-ish towards US and Taiwan. The feeling of third term President Xi and his new Standing Committee is going to be very different from the last few years.
edit: grammar - sorry rushed post
Beneficial_Potato_85 on October 23rd, 2022 at 04:56 UTC »
It's almost like he doesn't want to give up his power
YukariYakum0 on October 23rd, 2022 at 04:28 UTC »
Was there ever any doubt?