Xi Jinping's main statements at the Congress that should confirm him in power

Nearly 2.300 delegates from the Communist Party of China (CPC) gather at the National Congress that is expected to lead to Xi Jinping's re-election for a third term. Unless there is a big surprise, this week the 69-year-old leader will be ratified as general secretary of the party, a step that precedes his re-election as president next year, which will consolidate him as the most powerful leader since Mao Zedong.

Check out a summary of his main statements below:

“Critical moment”

“The 20th Congress of the Communist Party of China meets at a critical time when every party and people of all ethnic groups embark on a new journey to build a modernized socialist country,” Xi told the nearly 2.300 delegates gathered at the Grand Hall of the People, in Beijing.

Xi Jinping on track for historic third term in China

This Sunday (16) the 20th Congress of the Communist Party begins. If everything goes according to plan by the Chinese authorities, at the end of the meeting, which is held every five years, the 69-year-old ruler will once again be confirmed as the party's general secretary, consolidating his position as China's most powerful leader since Mao. Tse-Tung.

"Unit"

The Chinese president asked the party to close ranks. “Unity is strength, and victory requires unity,” he said, at a time when divisions are emerging within the party, according to experts. He also called for "constantly consolidating the unity of all ethnic groups in the country, strengthening the unity of China's sons and daughters at home and abroad, and forming a robust cooperative force to realize the Chinese dream together." .

Who is Chinese President Xi Jinping?

When Xi Jinping came to power in 2012, some predicted he would be the Chinese Communist Party's most liberal leader because of his low profile and family background. Ten years later, the reality is very different. Poised to secure a third term and establish himself as the most powerful leader since Mao Tse Tung, Xi Jinping has demonstrated a ruthless ambition, intolerance of dissent and a desire for control that has infiltrated almost every aspect of daily life in China.

Covid-19

In the fight against the coronavirus, China has put “people and their lives first”, declared Xi, responding to criticism of his strict “zero Covid” policy, which had consequences for economic activity.

China “protected safety and health at the highest level and achieved important positive results by coordinating epidemic control and prevention with economic and social development,” insisted the president. The country was criticized internationally for the delay in its response after the detection of the first cases of covid-19 in Wuhan, at the end of 2019.

Hong Kong and Taiwan

Xi also welcomed what he called a transition “from chaos to governance” in Hong Kong, the scene of large pro-democracy demonstrations in 2019. To restore calm to this autonomous territory, Beijing imposed a controversial national security law in 2020, denounced by several Western countries as a liberticide.

President Xi also criticized the interference of “external forces” in Taiwan, considered by Beijing to be an integral part of its territory. China defends a peaceful reunification of this island of 23 million inhabitants, he stressed, warning, however, that Beijing “will never renounce the use of force”, if necessary.

Fight against corruption

Since Xi came to power in 2012, the anti-corruption campaign carried out in the country has made it possible to eliminate “serious latent dangers within the party, the State and the Army”, he stated.

According to official data, at least 1,5 million people were punished. And, according to the NGO Transparency International's ranking on the perception of corruption, China is moving in the right direction.

According to his critics, however, this campaign is also a political tool for Xi, used to eliminate his rivals.

Climate

One of the most polluting countries on the planet, China will continue its efforts to combat global warming. The Chinese leader promeyour “actively promote” the fight against climate change and “strengthen the clean and efficient use of coal”.

With the goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2060, China is still very dependent on fossil energy for its power plants.

“Cold War Mentality”

Beijing rejects a “Cold War mentality” in international relations, Xi said, in a clear but not explicit reference to the United States. “China firmly pursues an independent and peaceful foreign policy,” she said.

Beijing opposes “any form of hegemony and power politics, the Cold War mentality, interference in the internal affairs of other countries and the practice of double standards”, stressed the Chinese president.

(AFP)