Xi Jinping, Set to Gain 'Lifelong Power'... "Will Receive the Title of 'People's Leader' This Fall"

On the 30th of last month, Chinese President Xi Jinping, who visited Hong Kong to attend the 25th anniversary ceremony of the Hong Kong sovereignty handover (July 1), is delivering a speech. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Chun-hee] Hong Kong's leading newspaper Ming Pao reported on the 12th that Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to secure a second term as General Secretary of the Party at the 20th Party Congress (Communist Party National Congress) scheduled for this fall, earning the title of 'People's Leader.'

The newspaper, citing several anonymous sources in Beijing, stated that President Xi will receive the title of 'People's Leader' following his current titles of 'Core of the Party' and 'Commander-in-Chief of the Military.' This suggests that even if Xi does not hold official positions such as President or General Secretary, he will maintain the greatest influence as a 'Leader' and 'Core' while alive.

Deng Xiaoping, who previously created the title 'Core,' never held the official highest positions of General Secretary of the Party or President of the State but played the role of the top leader by serving as Chairman of the Central Advisory Commission and Chairman of the Central Military Commission. Even after stepping down from these positions in the late 1980s, he continued to act as the de facto top power behind the scenes, leading the policy of continuing reform and opening up in 1992. Accordingly, it is expected that by receiving the title of 'People's Leader,' President Xi will have the final decision-making authority over Party and state affairs even without holding official positions, similar to Deng Xiaoping.

Xi Jinping, who became General Secretary at the 18th Party Congress in 2012, is expected to succeed in securing a second term at the 20th Party Congress. In this case, he is anticipated to move beyond the '10-year rule' established during the eras of former Presidents Hu Jintao and Jiang Zemin, entering a path of long-term leadership.

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