Another term for Xi

Will serve for another five-year term as head of the state in March

Xi Jinping is in Mao Zedong’s shoes. The Chinese president made history as he was chosen for a third-term as Communist Party’s general secretary, which ensures him another five-year term as head of the state in March. His rise has put to an end rumour-mongering for the last few weeks, wherein it was stated that he has been disposed of and put under house-arrest. His inevitable reappointment bestows the feather of China’s Central Military Commission head, literally making him a world-class leader as he mulls an economy that is set to beat the US in a decade, and tilt the global power decorum back to bipolarity.

The 20th Congress that elected a new politburo of 200 senior party officials will long be remembered for its commitment and resilience. It successfully evaded all kinds of pressure tactics, as it glued itself to Xi’s doctrine commonly called New Marxism of contemporary China, embedded with the finer points of Deng Xiaoping from yester-decades. Xi is now a thought-process among the developing states, as his 10-year rule has lifted 700 million people from the abyss of poverty. It has turned China into a performing economy, along with the landmark BRI that strategically connects more than 60 countries of the world. The 69-year-old has been able to do it in an era of wars and aggressions unleashed by Washington, as well as a policy of encirclement against Beijing.

Xi’s vision is worth-emulating, and developing countries must take a cue from him. His mobilisation from Grand Development Initiatives to Grand Strategic Initiatives since 2013 has ushered in commonality with states that want to rise by browbeating poverty and recession. Yet Xi and his 1.3 billion countrymen have daunting challenges to face such as managing the nation’s debt-ridden economy and the growing US rivalry, especially in the Straits of Taiwan and an encroaching QUAD. But one thing is for sure: China has kicked off the journey towards an Asian Century, and its leadership in innovation, especially in data-sciences, AI, military or space technology, will keep the ball rolling until it acclaims the superpower status.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, October 24^th, 2022.

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