Opening of the CPC Congress... Xi Jinping Begins Work Report Mentioning Hong Kong, Taiwan, and COVID-19

Chinese President Xi Jinping is delivering a work report at the opening of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China held on the 16th at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. (Photo by CCTV)

[Asia Economy Beijing=Special Correspondent Kim Hyunjung] The 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (Party Congress), which will confirm President Xi Jinping's third term, opened on the 16th at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. President Xi began his work report with topics related to Hong Kong, Taiwan, and COVID-19.

At the 20th Party Congress held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing that day, General Secretary Xi stated in his work report, "In response to the sudden COVID-19 outbreak, we prioritized the people and their lives above all else," adding, "We persistently pursued the zero-COVID policy to protect the people to the greatest extent possible." The Party Congress is being broadcast live on state-run media such as CCTV.

He then mentioned the issues of Hong Kong and Taiwan. He said, "The situation in Hong Kong has shifted from chaos to governance," and "In the face of rapidly changing circumstances, we have effectively exercised comprehensive governance over the Special Administrative Region in accordance with the Constitution and the Basic Law." Regarding Taiwan, he took a tougher stance. He emphasized, "Facing the severe provocations of Taiwan independence separatists and interference from external forces, we have resolutely waged a great struggle against separatism, interference, and independence," and "We have a firm determination and capability to safeguard national sovereignty."

The 20th Party Congress opened at 10 a.m. local time on the 16th and will be held for seven days until the 22nd. The main agenda items include the report of the 19th Central Committee of the Party Congress, the review of the work report of the 19th Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI), the review and passage of amendments to the Party Constitution, and the election of the 20th Central Committee of the Party Congress. The reading of the work report takes a considerable amount of time. At the 19th Party Congress in 2017, it lasted for 3 hours and 30 minutes. At that time, former President Jiang Zemin, who was over 90 years old, was caught on camera checking his watch or yawning.

If President Xi is included in the list of the Central Committee members elected through the Party Congress, it can be interpreted as a de facto official confirmation of his third term as the top leader. Such long-term rule is the first since the Mao Zedong era.

The appointments for the top leadership bodies, the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Party Central Committee and the Political Bureau itself, will be announced at the first plenary session (1st Plenum) of the 20th Central Committee on the day following the closing of the Party Congress, the 23rd. The order of entry at the press conference will provide clues about the ranking and roles of the Standing Committee members. Wang Yang, currently ranked 4th in the power hierarchy and chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, is highly likely to be appointed as Premier.

At this Party Congress, a major agenda item is expected to be the passage of amendments to the Party Constitution, which will include the establishment and safeguarding of Xi Jinping's core position in the Party Central Committee and the entire Party, as well as the establishment of the guiding position of Xi Jinping Thought, summarized as the "Two Establishes" and the "Two Safeguards."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.