By Tenzin Lekhden
DHARAMSHALA, Nov. 10: Xi Jinping’s unchallenged rein at the helm of China seem all but assured as he eyes for his third term as President at this week’s 6th plenary session, ahead of CCP’s 20th congress next year. Xi’s China removed the constitutional two-term limit back in 2018, which theoretically allows Xi Jinping to remain in power for life. The likely event would be unprecedented in CCP’s history since all of China’s top leaders have retired after the constitutionally mandated two-term limit.
Claude Arpi, author, journalist, historian, and Tibetologist, told Phayul that Xi is likely to remain in power despite the political tension and economic strain. But there is a growing contempt from other leaders for all the sacking and mis-handling of the Covid-19 pandemic. “I don’t think [Xi] will last forever,” he said.
When asked “what Xi’s third term might look like for Tibet and other colonised regions?” he grimly answered that a third term for Xi looks worse for Tibet with the recent appointment of Wang Junzheng, who is Han Chinese, as the Chief of Tibet Autonomous Region. Claude rhetorically asked, “How can the aspiration of the local population be represented by someone who comes from outside? I am not very optimistic for the years to come. Wang Junzheng is a hardcore communist. Will implement whatever Xi Jinping has decided.”
Wang Junzheng has been sanctioned by the US, Britain, European Union (EU) and Canada for his alleged role in human rights violations against Uyghur Muslims in East Turkestan.
During the four-day conclave in Beijing, which began on Monday, Xi Jinping, the CPC’s General Secretary, “delivered a work report on behalf of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and made explanations on a draft resolution on the major achievements and historical experience of the CPC’s 100 years of endeavours,” Chinese state-owned news agency Xinhua reported.
China scholars say that such resolution and statement on the country’s achievements and historical experience is the third time in the party’s history, and will elevate Xi’s status on par with that of Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping.
