All eyes on Xi Jinping as China’s 19th Communist Party Congress starts tommorow
, ET Bureau|
Updated: Oct 17, 2017, 12.47 AM IST
NEW DELHI: Top leaders of the Communist Party of China are set to meet in Beijing beginning Wednesday for the once-in-five years party congress that is expected to further strengthen President Xi Jinping’s power to pursue an aggressive policy abroad.
The 19th edition of the congress assumes significance for Xi as he will have far greater ability to choose his colleagues than he had in the last congress held in 2013.
This meeting is also important as it will allow Xi to outline his agenda for the next five years, including a foreign policy that is expected to get aggressive vis-a-vis India and other neighbours. The developments in Beijing will be closely watched in Delhi’s policy circles as much in Washington and other world capitals.
“China under Xi no longer follows the philosophy ‘hide your strengths, bide your time’. It is expected that Beijing would continue to display its strength during Xi’s second term in office,” pointed out a former diplomat who had served in China.
The future and any adjustments in mega One Belt One Road Strategy (OBOR) will be shaped by Xi’s clout following his re-election at the congress. India’s firm stand on both OBOR and Dokalam has sent a message that Delhi is no longer a pushover amid China’s attempt to dominate global discourse, officials here point out on condition of anonymity.
Xi remains firmly at the top after spending the past five years consolidating his power. And all eyes are at the congress will be on top leadership appointments, especially the seven-member standing committee of the politburo, China’s main decisionmaking body, and 15 other members of the politburo who command various policy portfolios. Also important is the order in which the men emerge because this will indicate the new pecking order, according to China watchers. The appointments will provide important clues about policy priorities in Xi’s next term, China watchers pointed out.
“We do know a great deal about what these men will be meant to do in the five years that follow the Congress. They will be expected to support current Chinese leader Xi Jinping in his quest to govern China. They will show their support through doing the jobs allocated to them… Xi likes to cover the country’s policy turf and he places himself in charge of as many areas as possible. This makes him appear a strong leader who gets things done,” Ryan Manuel of Hong Kong University said in his article ‘Xi’s time to party’ for Australia-based East Asia Forum.
The 19th edition of the congress assumes significance for Xi as he will have far greater ability to choose his colleagues than he had in the last congress held in 2013.
This meeting is also important as it will allow Xi to outline his agenda for the next five years, including a foreign policy that is expected to get aggressive vis-a-vis India and other neighbours. The developments in Beijing will be closely watched in Delhi’s policy circles as much in Washington and other world capitals.
“China under Xi no longer follows the philosophy ‘hide your strengths, bide your time’. It is expected that Beijing would continue to display its strength during Xi’s second term in office,” pointed out a former diplomat who had served in China.
The future and any adjustments in mega One Belt One Road Strategy (OBOR) will be shaped by Xi’s clout following his re-election at the congress. India’s firm stand on both OBOR and Dokalam has sent a message that Delhi is no longer a pushover amid China’s attempt to dominate global discourse, officials here point out on condition of anonymity.
Xi remains firmly at the top after spending the past five years consolidating his power. And all eyes are at the congress will be on top leadership appointments, especially the seven-member standing committee of the politburo, China’s main decisionmaking body, and 15 other members of the politburo who command various policy portfolios. Also important is the order in which the men emerge because this will indicate the new pecking order, according to China watchers. The appointments will provide important clues about policy priorities in Xi’s next term, China watchers pointed out.
“We do know a great deal about what these men will be meant to do in the five years that follow the Congress. They will be expected to support current Chinese leader Xi Jinping in his quest to govern China. They will show their support through doing the jobs allocated to them… Xi likes to cover the country’s policy turf and he places himself in charge of as many areas as possible. This makes him appear a strong leader who gets things done,” Ryan Manuel of Hong Kong University said in his article ‘Xi’s time to party’ for Australia-based East Asia Forum.
