Xi Jinping

a) General Secretary of the Communist party

b) President of the People's Republic of China

c) Chairman of the Military Commission

d) Xi holds the top offices of the Party and the military

e) he is also thew head of state through the office of the president.

Background

He is sometimes referred to as China's "paramount leader"

In 2016, the party officially gave him the title of "core" leader.

As General secretary Xi holds an ex-officio seat on the Politburo Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China.

This is China's top decision-making body.

Xi Jinping is the first General Secretary to have been born after the Second World War.

He is the son of Chinese Communist veteran Xi Zhongxun.

Xi rose through the ranks politically in China's coastal provinces.ernor

He was governor of Fujian from 1999 to 2002.

He was governor and then Party secretary of neighbouring Zhejiang province from 2002 to 2007.

Xi was then transferred to Shanghai as party secretary

Xi joined the Politburo Standing Committee and central secretariat in October 2007.

He spent the next five years as Hu Jintao's presumed successor.

Xi was vice-president from 2008 to 2013 and he was Vive-Chairman of the Central Military Commission -

This was 2010 to 2012.

Since taking power, Xi has introduced far-ranging measures to enforce party discipline and to ensure internal unity.

His signature anti-corruption campaign led to the downfall of prominent incumbent and retired officials.

Xi has tightened restrictions over ivil society and ideological discourse.

To do this he advocated internet censorship in China as the concept of "internet sovereignty".

Xi has called for

a) further market economic reforms

b) governing according to the law and

c) strengthening legal institutions.

He has placed emphasis on individual and national aspirations.

This was under the slogan "Chinese Dream."

Xi has also championed a more assertive foreign policy.

This is in regard to

a) China--Japanese relations.

b) China's claims in the South China Sea.

c) its role as a leading advocate of free trade and globalization.

He has also sought to expand China's Eurasian influence through the One Belt One Road Initiative.

Xi has significantly centralize3d institutional power by taking on a wider range of leadership positions.

This would include chairing

a) the newly formed National Security Commission

b) the new steering committees uneconomic and social reforms.

c) military restructuring and the internet.

Xi's political thought have been written into the party constitution.

Xi has had a cult of personality constructed around himself.

This was done "with books, cartoons, pop songs and even dance routines."

Early Life and Education

Xi was born in Beijing on June 15, 1953

Xi's father held a series of posts that included

a) propaganda chief

b) vice-premier

c) vice chairman of the National People's Congress.

Xi's father is from Fuping Count, Shaanxi.

Xi could further trace his patrilineal descent from Xiying in Dengzhou, Henan.

He is the second son of Xi Zhongxun and his wife Qi Xin.

When Xi was 10 years old, his father was purged from the Party.

He was sent to work in a factory in Luoyang, Henan.

In May 1966, Xi secondary education was cut short by the Cultural Revolution.

Xi was 15 years old when his father was jailed in 1968.

This was during the Cultural Revolution.

With no father to protect him, Xi was sent to work in Yanchuan County, Shaanxi, in 1969 in Mao Zedong's Down to the Countryside Movement.

After a few months, unable to stand rural life, he ran away to Beijing.

He was arrested during a crackdown on deserters for the countryside.

Then he was sent to a work camp to dig ditches.

He later became the Party branch secretary of the production team, leaving that post in 1975.

When asked about tis experience, Xi replied, "It was emotional. It was a mood. And when the ideals of the Cultural Revolution could not be realized, it proved an illusion"

From 1975 to 1979, Xi studied chemical engineering at Beijing's prestigious Tsinghua University as a "Worker-Peasant-Soldier student."

This is where engineering majors spent about one-fifth of their time studying Marxism-Leninism-Mao Zedong Thought, doing farm work and "learning from the People's Liberation Army."

From 1979 to 1982, Xi served as secretary for his father's former subordinate Geng Biao.

Geng, was at this time Vice President & secretary-general of the Central Military Commission.

This gained Xi some military background.

In 1985, as part of a Chinese delegation to study U.S. agriculture, he stayed in the home of an American family in the town of Muscatine, Iowa.

This trip and his two week stay with a U.S. family is said to have had a lasting impression upon him and his views on the United States.

From 1998 to 2002 he studied Marxist philosophy and ideological education in an "on the job" post-graduate programme at the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, again at Tsinghua University.

He obtained a Doctor of Law (LLD) degree which covered fields of law, politics, management & revolutionary history.

Some commentators have questioned this qualification.

Rise to Power

Xi joined the Communist Youth League of China in 1971.

Xi joined the Communist Party of China in 1974.

In 1982, he was sent to Zhengding County in Hebei as deputy Party Secretary of Zhengding County.

He was promoted in 1983 to Secretary becoming the top official of fhe country.

He then served in four provinces during his regional political career:

Hebei (1982-1985)

Fujian (1985-2002)

Zhejiang (2002-2007)

Shanghai (2007)

Xi held posts in the Fuzhou Municipal Party Committee.

He became the President of the Party School in Fuzhou in 1990.

In 1997, Xi was named an alternate member of the 15th Central committee of the communist Party of China.

Out of the 151 alternate members of the Central Committee elected at the 15th Party Congress, Xi received the lowest number of votes in favour.

This placed him in last place in the rankings of members, due to his status as a Princeling.

In 1999, he was promoted to the office of Vice Governor of Fujian.

Then he became governor a year later.

In Fujian Xi made efforts to attract investment from Taiwan.

He tried to strengthen the private sector of th provincial economy.

In February 2000 he and then provincial Party Secretary Chen Mingyi were called before the top members of the Party Central Politburo Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China.

These were

a) general secretary Jiang Zemin

b) Premier Zhu Rongji

c) Vice-President Hu Jintao

d) Discipline Inspection secretary Wei Jianxing.

In 2002 Xi left Fujian and took up leading political positions in neighbouring Zhejiang.

Eventually he took over as provincial party chief after several months as acting governor.

He finally occupied a top provincial office for the first time in his career.

In 2002, Xi was elected a full member of the 16th Central Committee.

This marked his ascension to the national stage.

While in Zhejiang, Xi presided over reported growth rates averaging 14% per year.

His career in Zhejiang was marked by a tough and straightforward stance against corrupt officials.

This earned him a namer on the national media.

It also drew the attention of China's top leaders.

Xi was transferred to Shanghai in March 2007 to become the Party chief of Shanghai.

Xi only spent 7 months in Shanghai.

Yet his appointment to one of the most important regional post in China.

This sent a clear message that Xi was highly regarded by China's top leadership.

In Shanghai, Xi avoided controversy.

Xi was known for strictly observing party discipline.

While in Shanghai, he worked on preserving unity of the local party organization.

He also made a pledge that there would be no "purges" during his administration.

were thought to have beenThis was despite the fact that many local officials implicated in the Chen Liangyu corruption scandal.

On most issues Xi largely echoed the line of the central leadership.

Xi's career is notable in that during his regional tenures, he was never implicated in any serious scandals,.

He also never faced serious political opposition.

Politburo Standing Committee Member

Xi was appointed to the nine-man Politburo Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China at the 17th Party Congress in October 2007.

He was ranked above Li Keqiang.

This indicated that he was going to succeed Hu Jintao as China's next leader.

Xi also held the top-ranking membership of the Communist Party Central Secretariat.

This assessment was further supported at the 11th National People's Congress in March 2008, when Xi was elected Vice-President of the People's Republic of China.

Following his elevation has held a broad range of portfolios.

He was put in charge of the comprehensive preparations for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.

He was also the central government's leading figure in Hong Kong and Macao affairs.

He also became the new President of the Central Party School of the Communist Party of China, the cadre-training & ideological education wing of the Communist Party

in the wake of the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, Xi visited disaster areas in Shaanxi and Gansu.
Xi made his 1st foreign trip June 17-25, 2008) as vice president to
North Korea,
Mongolia,
Saudi Arabia,
Qatar
Yemen
after the Olympics, Xi was assigned the post of Committee Chair for the preparations of the 60th Anniversary Celebrations of the founding of the People's Republic of China.

he was also reportedly at the helm of a top-level Communist Party committee dubbed the 6521 Project, which was charged with ensuring social stability during a series of politically sensitive anniversaries in 2009.
Xi is considered to be one of the most successful members of the Crown Prince Party,
this is a quasi-clique of politicians who are descendants of early Chinese Communist revolutionaries.

Trips as Vice President and

Mexico Commentary Incident

n February 2009, in his capacity as vice-president, Xi Jinping embarked on
a tour of Latin America,
he visited
Brazil
Mexico,
Jamaica,
Colombia,
Venezuela,
this was all
a) to promote Chinese ties in the region
b) to boost the country's reputation in the wake of the global financial crisis.

on 11 February, in Mexico, Xi spoke in front of a group of overseas Chinese
he explained China's contributions to the financial crisis,
he said that it was "the greatest contribution towards the whole of human race, made by China, to prevent its 1.3 billion people from hunger”.
Xi went on to remark: "There are some bored foreigners, with full stomachs, who have nothing better to do than point fingers at us. First, China doesn't export revolution; second, China doesn't export hunger and poverty; third, China doesn't come and cause you headaches. What more is there to be said?”

the story was reported on some local television stations.
the news led to a flood of discussions on Chinese internet forums.
It was reported that the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs was caught off-guard by Xi's remarks,
this is because the actual video was shot by some accompanying Hong Kong reporters
it was broadcast on Hong Kong TV, which then turned up in various internet video websites.
Xi continued his international trips

In the European Union, (Oct. 7-21, 2009)
Xi visited
Belgium,
Germany,
Bulgaria,
Hungary
Romania
On his Asian trip (Dec. 14-22, 2009)
Xi visited
Japan,
South
Korea,
Cambodia,
Myanmar
Xi visited the (Feb. 2012)
United States,
Ireland
Turkey

Xin in the USA

the visit to the United States included meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama at the White House and Vice President Joe Biden,
he had met with Biden extensively in China in August 2011
he made stops in California and Iowa, where he met with the family which previously hosted him during his 1985 tour as a Hebei provincial official.

Disappearance

a few months before his ascendancy to the party leadership, Xi Jinping disappeared from official media coverage for several weeks beginning on September 1st 2012.
on the 4th of September, he cancelled a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton,
later he also cancelled meetings with Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and a top Russian official.
it was said that Xi effectively "went on strike" in preparation for the power transition in order to install political allies in key roles.
The Washington Post reported that Xi may have been injured in an altercation during a meeting of the "red second generation" which turned violent.

Leadership - Ascending

to the Top Post

on 15 November 2012, Xi Jinping was elected to the post of General Secretary of the Communist Party and Chairman of the CPC Central Military Commission
this was by the 18th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China,
this made him – informally – the paramount leader and
it made him the the first one to be born in the People's Republic of China and not a preceding Chinese state.

on the following day, Xi led the new line-up of the Politburo Standing Committee onto the stage in their first public appearance.
the new Standing Committee decreased its number of seats from nine to seven,
only Xi himself and Li Keqiang retaining their seats from the previous Standing Committee
the remaining members were new.
in a marked departure from the common practice of Chinese leaders, Xi's first speech as general secretary was plainly worded and did not include any political slogans or mention of his predecessors.

Xi mentioned the aspirations of the average person,
"Our people ... expect better education, more stable jobs, better income, more reliable social security, medical care of a higher standard, more comfortable living conditions, and a more beautiful environment."
Xi also vowed to tackle corruption at the highest levels,
he alluded that corruption would threaten the Party's survival
he was reticent about far-reaching economic reforms.

in December 2012, Xi visited Guangdong
this was his first trip outside of Beijing since taking the Party leadership.
the overarching theme of the trip was to call for further economic reform and a strengthened military.
Xi visited the statue of Deng Xiaoping
his trip was described as following in the footsteps of Deng's own southern trip in 1992,
that trip of Deng had provided the impetus for further economic reforms in China
the conservative party leaders had stalled many of Deng's reforms in the aftermath of the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989.
on his trip, Xi consistently alluded to his signature slogan the "Chinese Dream”.
"This dream can be said to be the dream of a strong nation. And for the military, it is a dream of a strong military",

Xi told sailors. Xi's trip was significant
this is because he departed from established convention of Chinese leaders' travel routine in multiple ways.
instead of dining out, Xi and his entourage ate regular hotel buffet.
he traveled in a large van with his colleagues
he refused a fleet of limousines
it did not restrict traffic on the parts of the highway he traveled on.

Xi was elected President of the People's Republic of China on 14 March 2013,
this was in a confirmation vote by the 12th National People's Congress in Beijing.
he received 2,952 for, one vote against, and three abstentions.
he replaced Hu Jintao, who retired after serving two terms.
in his new capacity as president, on 16 March 2013 Xi expressed support for noninterference in China–Sri Lanka relations amid a United Nations Security Council vote to condemn that country over government abuses during the Sri Lankan Civil War.

on 17 March, Xi and his new ministers arranged a meeting with the chief executive of Hong Kong, CY Leung, confirming his support for Leung.
within hours of his election, Xi discussed cyber security and North Korea with U.S. President Barack Obama over the phone,
Obama announced the visits of Treasury and State secretaries Jacob Lew and John F. Kerry to China the following week.
within a week of his assuming the Presidency, Xi embarked on a trip to Russia, Tanzania, South Africa, and Republic of Congo.

Announcing

in November 2013, the Communist Party delivered a far-reaching reform agenda
this agenda alluded to changes in both economic and social policy.
Xi stated that he was consolidating control of the massive internal security organization that was formerly the domain of Zhou Yongkang
a new National Security Commission was formed with Xi Jinping at its helm.
the Central Leading Group for Comprehensively Deepening Reforms led by Xi was also formed
this was to oversee the implementation of the reform agenda.

the reforms, termed "comprehensive deepening reforms" (全面深化改革, quanmian shenhua gaige) were said to be the most significant since Deng Xiaoping's 1992 "Southern Tour".
in the economic realm, the Plenum announced that "market forces" would begin to play a "decisive" role in allocating resources.
this meant that the state would gradually reduce its involvement in the distribution of capital,
it would also restructure state-owned enterprises to allow further competition,
this would attract foreign and private sector players in industries that were highly regulated previously.

this policy aimed to address the bloated state sector that had unduly profited from an earlier round of re-structuring by purchasing assets at below-market prices, assets which were no longer being used productively.
the Plenum also resolved to abolish the legal system of "re-education through labour"
this was largely seen as a blot on China's human rights record.
the system has faced significant criticism for years from domestic critics and foreign observers.
the one-child policy was also abolished, resulting in a shift to a two-child policy since 1st January 2016.

Anti-corruption Campaign

Xi vowed to crack down on corruption
he did this almost immediately after he ascended to power at the 18th Party Congress.
in his 'inaugural speech' as general secretary, Xi mentioned that fighting corruption was one of the toughest challenges for the party.

a few months into his term, Xi outlined the "eight-point guide", listing out rules intended to curb corruption and waste during official party business
it aimed at stricter discipline on the conduct of party officials.

Xi also vowed to root out "tigers and flies", that is, high-ranking officials and ordinary party functionaries
during the first two years of Xi's term, he initiated cases against
a) former Central Military Commission vice-chairman Xu Caihou,
b) former Politburo Standing Committee member
c) security chief Zhou Yongkang,
d) former Hu Jintao chief aide Ling Jihua

Xi's administration spearheaded the formation of "centrally-dispatched inspection teams" (中央巡视组),
these were essentially cross-jurisdictional squads of officials whose main task was to gain more in-depth understanding of the operations of provincial and local party organizations,
in the process, they would enforce party discipline mandated by Beijing.
many of the work teams also had the effect of identifying and initiating investigations on high-ranking officials.

Announcing Reforms

in November 2013, the Communist Party delivered a far-reaching reform agenda

this agenda alluded to changes in both economic and social policy.

Xi stated that he was consolidating control of the massive internal security organization that was formerly the domain of Zhou Yongkang

a new National Security Commission was formed with Xi Jinping at its helm.

the Central Leading Group for Comprehensively Deepening Reforms led by Xi was also formed

this was to oversee the implementation of the reform agenda.

the reforms, termed "comprehensive deepening reforms" (全面深化改革, quanmian shenhua gaige) were said to be the most significant since Deng Xiaoping's 1992 "Southern Tour".
in the economic realm, the Plenum announced that "market forces" would begin to play a "decisive" role in allocating resources.
this meant that the state would gradually reduce its involvement in the distribution of capital,
it would also restructure state-owned enterprises to allow further competition,
this would attract foreign and private sector players in industries that were highly regulated previously.

this policy aimed to address the bloated state sector that had unduly profited from an earlier round of re-structuring by purchasing assets at below-market prices, assets which were no longer being used productively.
the Plenum also resolved to abolish the legal system of "re-education through labour"
this was largely seen as a blot on China's human rights record.
the system has faced significant criticism for years from domestic critics and foreign observers.
the one-child policy was also abolished, resulting in a shift to a two-child policy since 1st January 2016.

Anti-corruption Campaign

Xi vowed to crack down on corruption

he did this almost immediately after he ascended to power at the 18th Party Congress.

in his 'inaugural speech' as general secretary, Xi mentioned that fighting corruption was one of the toughest challenges for the party.

a few months into his term, Xi outlined the "eight-point guide", listing out rules intended to curb corruption and waste during official party business

it aimed at stricter discipline on the conduct of party officials.

Xi also vowed to root out "tigers and flies", that is, high-ranking officials and ordinary party functionaries

during the first two years of Xi's term, he initiated cases against

a) former Central Military Commission vice-chairman Xu Caihou,

b) former Politburo Standing Committee member

c) security chief Zhou Yongkang,

d) former Hu Jintao chief aide Ling Jihua.

Xi's administration spearheaded the formation of "centrally-dispatched inspection teams" (中央巡视组),
these were essentially cross-jurisdictional squads of officials whose main task was to gain more in-depth understanding of the operations of provincial and local party organizations,
in the process, they would enforce party discipline mandated by Beijing.
many of the work teams also had the effect of identifying and initiating investigations on high-ranking officials.

over one hundred provincial-ministerial level officials were implicated during a massive nationwide anti-corruption campaign.
these included
a) former and current regional officials (Su Rong, Bai Enpei, Wan Qingliang),
b) leading figures of state-owned enterprises and central government organs (Song Lin, Liu Tienan),
c) highly ranked generals in the military (Gu Junshan).
in June 2014, the Shanxi provincial political establishment was destroyed,
four officials were dismissed within a week from the provincial party organization's top ranks.
within the first two years of the campaign alone, over 200,000 low-ranking officials received warnings, fines, and demotions.

Consolidation of Power

political observers have called Xi "the most powerful Chinese leader since Deng Xiaoping.”
Xi has notably departed from the "collective rule" practices of his predecessor Hu Jintao.
during his years as the party's general secretary, Hu was seen as the "first among equals" with his Standing Committee colleagues, an arbiter of collective opinion.
in the top leadership, Hu's power was shared, mostly notably with Premier Wen Jiabao and former Political and Legal Affairs Commission Secretary Zhou Yongkang,

beginning in 2013, the party under Xi has created a series of new "Central Leading Groups",
these were supra-ministerial steering committees, to bypass existing institutions when making decisions,
this would make policy-making a more efficient process.
the most notable new body is the Central Leading Group for Comprehensively Deepening Reforms, which has broad jurisdiction over economic restructuring and social reforms
it seems to have displaced some of the power previously held by the State Council and its Premier.
Xi also became the leader of the Central Leading Group for Internet Security and Informatization, in charge of cyber-security and internet policy.

the Third Plenum held in 2013 also saw the creation of the National Security Commission of the Communist Party of China,
this was another body chaired by Xi
this body would have ultimate oversight over issues of
a) national security such as combating terrorism,
b) intelligence,
c) espionage,
it would in the long run incorporate many areas of jurisdiction formerly vested in the Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission under Zhou Yongkang.
Xi has also been active in his participation in military affairs,
Xi prefers a direct hands-on approach to military reform.

Xi has also delivered numerous high-profile pronouncements vowing to clean up malfeasance and complacency in the military, aiming to build a more effective fighting force.
in addition, Xi held the "New Gutian Conference" in 2014, gathering China's top military officers, re-emphasizing the principle of "the party has absolute control over the army" first established by Mao at the 1929 Gutian Conference.
according to a University of California, San Diego expert on Chinese military, Xi “has been able to take political control of the military to an extent that exceeds what Mao and Deng have done”.

on 21 April 2016 Xi was named as 'commander in chief' of the country's new Joint Operations Command Center of the People's Liberation Army by Xinhua news agency and the broadcaster China Central Television.
some analysts interpreted this move as an attempt to display strength and strong leadership and as being more "political than military”.
according to Ni Lexiong, a military affairs expert, Xi "not only controls the military but also does it in an absolute manner, and that in wartime, he is ready to command personally”.

Legal Reforms

the party under Xi announced a raft of legal reforms
in the fall 2014, and Xi called for "Chinese socialistic rule of law"
the party aimed to reform the legal system
the system had been perceived as ineffective at delivering justice and was affected by
a) corruption,
b) local government interference,
c) lack of constitutional oversight.

the plenum was also called to play a greater role of the constitution on the affairs of state, and
it was also called to a strengthening of the role of the National People's Congress Standing Committee in interpreting the constitution.
it also called for
a) more transparency in legal proceedings,
b) more involvement of ordinary citizens in the legislative process,
c) an overall "professionalization" of the legal workforce.

Foreign Trips as President

Xi’s made his first foreign trip as president to Russia on 22 March 2013,
this was about a week after he assumed the presidency.
he met with President Vladimir Putin and the two leaders discussed trade and energy issues.
he then went onto Tanzania, South Africa (where he attended the BRICS summit in Durban), and the Republic of the Congo.
Xi visited the United States at Sunnylands Estate in California with U.S. President Barack Obama in June 2013
this was not considered a formal state visit.

In October 2013 Xi attended the APEC Summit in Bali, Indonesia.
Xi made a trip to Western Europe in March 2014,
he visited the Netherlands, where he attended the Nuclear Security Summit in The Hague,
this was followed by visits to France, Germany, and Belgium.
Xi made a state visit to South Korea on 4 July 2014
there he met with South Korean President Park Geun-hye.
between 14 and 23 July, Xi attended the BRICS leaders' summit in Brazil
he also visited Argentina, Venezuela, and Cuba.

Xi then went on an official state visit to India
there he met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in September 2014
he visited New Delhi but also went to Modi's hometown in the state of Gujarat.
Xi went on a state visit to Australia
there he met with Prime Minister Tony Abbott in November 2014,
this was followed by a visit to the island nation of Fiji.
Xi then visited Pakistan in April 2015,
here he signed a series of deals over infrastructure related to the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor,

then he headed to Jakarta and Bandung, Indonesia,
he went to attend the Afro-Asian Leaders Summit and the 60th Anniversary events of the Bandung Conference.
Xi visited Russia and was the guest-of-honour of Russian president Vladimir Putin at the 2015 Moscow Victory Day Parade to mark the 70th Anniversary of the victory of the allies in Europe.
at the parade Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan sat next to Putin.
on the same trip Xi also visited Kazakhstan and met with that country's president Nursultan Nazarbayev, and
he also met with Alexander Lukashenko in Belarus.

Xi, who was on a four-day state visit to the UK, addressed both Houses of Parliament at Westminster, 21 October 2015
in September 2015, Xi made his first state visit to the United States.
in October 2015, Xi made a state visit to the United Kingdom, the first by a Chinese leader for a decade
this followed a visit to China in March 2015 by the Duke of Cambridge.
during the state visit, Xi met Queen Elizabeth II,
he also met with British Prime Minister David Cameron and other dignitaries.
increased customs, trade and research collaborations between China and the UK were discussed,
more informal events also took place including a visit to Manchester City's football academy.

in March 2016, Xi visited the Czech Republic on his way to United States of America.
in Prague, he met with the Czech president, prime minister and other representatives,
this was to promote relations and economic cooperation between the Czech Republic and the People's Republic of China.
His visit was met by a considerable number of protests by Czech people.
in January 2017, Xi became the first Chinese President to plan to attend the World Economic Forum in Davos.

on January 17, Xi addressed the forum in a high-profile keynote,
here he addressed
a) globalization,
b) the global trade agenda,
c) China’s rising place in the world's economy and international governance;
he made a series of pledges about China's defense of “economic globalization" and climate change accords
during the three day state visit to the country in 2017 Xi would also visit
a) the World Health Organization,
b) the United Nations
c) he International Olympic Committee.

Cultural Revival

top political leaders of the Communist Party of China such as Xi Jinping continue the rehabilitation of figures like Han Fei into the mainstream of Chinese thought alongside Confucianism,
both of which Xi sees as relevant.
“He who rules by virtue is like the Pole Star," XI said at a meeting of officials last year, quoting Confucius.
"It maintains its place, and the multitude of stars pay homage.”
in Shandong, the Birthplace of Confucius, he told scholars that while the West was suffering a "crisis of confidence," the Communist Party had been "the loyal inheritor and promoter of China's outstanding traditional culture.”
Han Fei gained new prominence with favourable citations.
one sentence of Han Fei's that Xi quoted appeared thousands of times in official Chinese media at the local, provincial, and national levels.

Chinese Dream

Xi and Communist Party ideologues coined the phrase "Chinese Dream"
it is to describe his overarching plans for China as its leader.
since 2013, the phrase has emerged as the distinctive quasi-official ideology of the party leadership under Xi Jinping,
this was much as the "Scientific Outlook on Development" was for Hu Jintao
and the "Three Represents" was for Jiang Zemin.
the origin of the term "Chinese Dream" is unclear.
the phrase has been used previously by journalists and scholars,
some publications have posited that the term likely drew its inspiration from the concept of the American Dream.

the Chinese Dream was originally interpreted as an extension of the American Dream,
this would emphasizes individual self-improvement and opportunity,
but the slogan's use in official settings since 2013 has taken on a noticeably more nationalistic character, with official pronouncements of the "Dream" being consistently linked with the phrase "great revival of the Chinese nation.”
the policy implications of the "Chinese Dream" remain unclear
Xi first used the phrase during a high-profile visit to the National Museum of China on 29 November 2012,

this was where Xi and his Standing Committee colleagues were attending a "national revival" exhibition.

since then, the phrase has become the signature political slogan of the Xi era.

"Xi Jinping Thought”

on September 18, 2017, the Communist Party Central Committee had decided that Xi's political philosophies, generally referred to as "Xi Jinping Thought" by western media, would become part of the Party Constitution.
Xi first made mention of the "Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era" in the opening day speech delivered to the 19th Party Congress in October 2017.
his Politburo Standing Committee colleagues appended the name "Xi Jinping" in front of “Thought"

Xi himself has described the Thought as part of the broad framework created around Socialism with Chinese Characteristics,
this is a Dengist term that places China in the "primary stage of socialism".
in official party documentation and pronouncements by Xi's colleagues, the Thought is said to be a continuation of
a) Marxism–Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought,
b) Deng Xiaoping Theory,
c) the "Three Represents",
d) the Scientific Development Perspective,

these are seen as a part of a series of guiding ideologies that embody "Marxism adopted to Chinese conditions" and contemporary considerations.
on 24 October 2017, the 19th Party Congress approved the incorporation of Xi Jinping Thought into the Constitution of the Communist Party of China.
the concepts and context behind Xi Jinping Thought are elaborated in Xi Jinping's "The Governance of China" book series, published by the Foreign Languages Press for an international audience.
Volume one was published in September 2014, followed by volume two in November 2017.

Foreign Policy

Xi has reportedly taken a hard line on security issues as well as foreign affairs,
this projects a more nationalistic and assertive China on the world stage.
Xi's political program calls for a China more united and confident of its own value system and political structure.
under Xi, China has also taken a more critical stance on North Korea,
at the same time it is improving relationships with South Korea.

China-Japan relations have soured under Xi's administration
the most thorny issue between the two countries remains the dispute over the Senkaku/Diaoyu islands.
in response to Japan's continued robust stance on the issue, China declared an Air Defense Identification Zone in November 2013.
Xi has called China–United States relations in the contemporary world a "new type of great-power relations",
this is a phrase the Obama administration has been reluctant to embrace.

the Strategic and Economic Dialogue that began under Hu Jintao has continued.
on China-U.S. relations, Xi said, "If China and the United States are in confrontation, it would surely spell disaster for both countries”.
Xi met with President Obama privately at the Sunnylands ranch in California in 2013.
the U.S. has been critical of Chinese actions in the South China Sea.
Xi has cultivated stronger relations with Russia,
this is after the Ukraine crisis of 2014.
Xi seems to have developed a strong personal relationship with President Vladimir Putin,
both are viewed as strong leaders with a nationalist orientation who are not afraid to assert themselves against Western interests.

Xi attended the opening ceremonies of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.
under Xi, China signed a $400 billion gas deal with Russia
China has also become Russia's largest trading partner.
Xi has shown a greater interest in Central Asia
this is obvious by China's One Belt One Road initiative
Xi made the announcement while in Astana, Kazakhstan and called it a "golden opportunity".
Xi has also indirectly spoken out critically on the U.S. "strategic pivot" to Asia.
addressing a regional conference in Shanghai on 21 May 2014, Xi called on Asian countries to unite and forge a way together, rather than get involved with third party powers,
this is seen as a reference to the United States.

"Matters in Asia ultimately must be taken care of by Asians. Asia's problems ultimately must be resolved by Asians and Asia's security ultimately must be protected by Asians", he told the conference.
U.S. Vice President Joe Biden raises a toast in honour of Xi at a state luncheon at the State Department on 25 September 2015
in November 2014, Xi has called for a decrease in the use of force,
he preferred using dialogue and consultation to solve the current issues plaguing the relationship between China and its South East Asian neighbors.
in April 2015 Xi led a large delegation on a state visit to Pakistan.
during his visit he signed energy and infrastructure deals worth $45 billion including the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor.
Pakistan's highest civilian award, the Nishan-e-Pakistan, was also conferred upon him.

in April 5 a new satellite imagery revealed that China was rapidly constructing an airfield on Fiery Cross Reef in the Spratly Islands of the South China Sea.
in May 2015, U.S. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter warned the government of Xi Jinping to halt its rapid island-building in il 201disputed territory in the South China Sea.
on 13 May 2017 Xi said at the Belt and Road Forum in Beijing: “We should foster a new type of international relations featuring 'win-win cooperation', and we should forge a partnership of dialogue with no confrontation, and a partnership of friendship rather than alliance. All countries should respect each other's sovereignty, dignity and territorial integrity; respect each other's development path and its social systems, and respect each other's core interests and major concerns... ...What we hope to create is a big family of harmonious coexistence.”
Role of the Communist Party

early on in his term, Xi repeatedly issued pronouncements on the supremacy of the Communist Party,
this largely echoed Deng Xiaoping's line that effective economic reform can only take place within the one-party political framework.
in Xi's view, the Communist Party is the legitimate, constitutionally-sanctioned ruling party of China,

the party derives this legitimacy through advancing the so-called "mass line"; that is the party represents the interests of the overwhelming majority of ordinary people.
Xi’s position has been described as preferring highly centralized political power as a means to direct large-scale economic restructuring.
Xi believes that China should be 'following its own path' and that a strong authoritarian government is an integral part of the "China model",
this ought to operate on a "core socialist value system", which has been interpreted as China's alternative to Western values.

Xi and his colleagues do acknowledge the challenges to the legitimacy of Communist rule, particularly corruption by party officials.
the answer, according to Xi's programme, is two-fold:
a) strengthen the party from within, by streamlining strict party discipline
b) initiating a large anti-corruption campaign to remove unsavoury elements from within the party,
c) instituting Mao-style "mass line" campaigns externally to make party officials better understand and serve the needs of ordinary people.

Xi believes
a) the party must be at the apex of political control of the state,
b) the party's central authorities (i.e., the Politburo, PSC, or himself as general secretary) must exercise full and direct political control of all party activities.
Xi’s policies have been characterized as "economically liberal but politically conservative" by Cheng Li of the Brookings Institution.
Censorship

the "Document No. 9" is a confidential internal document widely circulated within the Communist Party of China in 2013 by the party's General Office.
the document was first published in July 2012.
the document warns of seven dangerous Western values:
a) constitutional democracy,
b) universal values of human rights,
c) civil society,
d) pro-market neo-liberalism,
e) media independence,
f) historical nihilism [criticisms of past errors],
g) questioning Reform and Opening.

“Reform & Opening” refers to an economic reforms program called “Socialism with Chinese Characteristics”led by Deng Xiaoping.
coverage of these topics in educational materials is forbidden.
the release of this internal document, which has introduced new topics that were previously not 'off-limits', was seen as Xi's recognition of the 'sacrosanct' nature of Communist Party rule over China.

Asia 210 - Modern China

Thursday, April 7, 2022

Era of Xi Jinping

Announcing Reforms

Anti-corruption Campaign

Chinese Dream

this was where Xi and his Standing Committee colleagues were attending a "national revival" exhibition.