BEIJING (Reuters) – Xi Jinping walked out of the Communist Party’s 20th Congress with a third term at the helm of a precedent and a Politburo standing committee made up entirely of loyalists, cementing his place as China’s most powerful leader since Mao Zedong .
Below Xi’s decade in powerChina has undergone profound changes, both domestically and in the global context.
Here are some of the ways China has changed under Xi-
1. Perceptions of China in the West and in US-allied countries have deteriorated
US-China relations have deteriorated sharply in recent years, a decline that accelerated under former US President Donald Assetthe belligerent tour of Beijing. But Western perceptions have also been compounded by concerns over human rights as well as China’s growing aggression towards Taiwan.
2. Xi’s campaign against corruption
Upon taking office, Xi launched a signature drive to root out corruption in the Communist Party, which has proven popular with the public and which many analysts say has also been a useful tool in weeding out opponents. policies.
3. The taming of once unruly borderlands
The regions of Tibet, Xinjiang and Hong Kong, all far from Beijing, have long created headaches for China’s ruling Communist Party.
Xi has launched unprecedented and sweeping security crackdowns that have brought the border regions under control.
In Xinjiang, this included the internment of around one million minority people. muslim uyghurs in the camps; in Hong Kong, Beijing responded to major anti-government protests in 2019 with a sweeping national security law. 4. Raise the temperature in Taiwan
Every Chinese leader since Mao has stressed the importance of “reunifying” China with the self-governing island of Taiwan.
But tensions across the Taiwan Strait have risen sharply under Xi, with the People’s Liberation Army increasing its activities around the island in recent years, ranging from military exercises to increased incursions into the identification area of the air defense of the island.
US President Nancy Pelosi’s August visit to Taipei sparked Chinese military exercises on an unprecedented scale.
5. The state is increasingly taking economic leadership
Xi has tightened state control and direction over the economy, including a sweeping crackdown on the freest parts of the private sector, especially online platforms and for-profit education.
The crackdown on these sectors, along with the impact of current Covid-19 restrictions, has driven up urban unemployment and lowered consumer confidence.
6. Slower growth, higher income
The era of double-digit annual growth ended before Xi came to power, and the growth rate declined, which was inevitable as the size of the economy increases.
Revenues have steadily increased under Xi.
A growing number of analysts are warning that China’s infrastructure-driven, investment-driven model is increasingly unsustainable, with another slowdown ahead.
7. Crush dissent, expand censorship
Xi has suppressed domestic criticism and protests, eliminating space for dissent, while censorship inside China’s “Great Firewall” is steadily intensifying.
8. The largest army in the world is growing, modernizing
The People’s Liberation Army, led by Xi, has closed the gap with the United States, including on the high seas, with major implications for tensions around Taiwan, as China strengthens its ability to seize of the island over what some US officials are warning. a shortened time.
9. China leads in green technology and pollution
As China struggles to shed its dependence on coal, it has emerged as the world’s leading manufacturer of electric vehicles and has been hailed for its commitment to achieving carbon neutrality by 2060. More visibly, the quality of the he air in China has steadily improved over the past decade.
10. Extreme poverty eliminated, inequalities persist
Xi describes the eradication of extreme poverty in China as one of the Communist Party’s main achievements of the past decade.
Inequality, however, has proven a more difficult challenge – particularly the urban-rural income gap – an issue Xi seeks to address with his “common prosperity” policy.
Official figures for China’s Gini coefficient show that despite a slight decline in recent years, it still has one of the highest income inequalities among major economies, along with the United States.
Below Xi’s decade in powerChina has undergone profound changes, both domestically and in the global context.
Here are some of the ways China has changed under Xi-
1. Perceptions of China in the West and in US-allied countries have deteriorated
US-China relations have deteriorated sharply in recent years, a decline that accelerated under former US President Donald Assetthe belligerent tour of Beijing. But Western perceptions have also been compounded by concerns over human rights as well as China’s growing aggression towards Taiwan.
2. Xi’s campaign against corruption
Upon taking office, Xi launched a signature drive to root out corruption in the Communist Party, which has proven popular with the public and which many analysts say has also been a useful tool in weeding out opponents. policies.
3. The taming of once unruly borderlands
The regions of Tibet, Xinjiang and Hong Kong, all far from Beijing, have long created headaches for China’s ruling Communist Party.
Xi has launched unprecedented and sweeping security crackdowns that have brought the border regions under control.
In Xinjiang, this included the internment of around one million minority people. muslim uyghurs in the camps; in Hong Kong, Beijing responded to major anti-government protests in 2019 with a sweeping national security law. 4. Raise the temperature in Taiwan
Every Chinese leader since Mao has stressed the importance of “reunifying” China with the self-governing island of Taiwan.
But tensions across the Taiwan Strait have risen sharply under Xi, with the People’s Liberation Army increasing its activities around the island in recent years, ranging from military exercises to increased incursions into the identification area of the air defense of the island.
US President Nancy Pelosi’s August visit to Taipei sparked Chinese military exercises on an unprecedented scale.
5. The state is increasingly taking economic leadership
Xi has tightened state control and direction over the economy, including a sweeping crackdown on the freest parts of the private sector, especially online platforms and for-profit education.
The crackdown on these sectors, along with the impact of current Covid-19 restrictions, has driven up urban unemployment and lowered consumer confidence.
6. Slower growth, higher income
The era of double-digit annual growth ended before Xi came to power, and the growth rate declined, which was inevitable as the size of the economy increases.
Revenues have steadily increased under Xi.
A growing number of analysts are warning that China’s infrastructure-driven, investment-driven model is increasingly unsustainable, with another slowdown ahead.
7. Crush dissent, expand censorship
Xi has suppressed domestic criticism and protests, eliminating space for dissent, while censorship inside China’s “Great Firewall” is steadily intensifying.
8. The largest army in the world is growing, modernizing
The People’s Liberation Army, led by Xi, has closed the gap with the United States, including on the high seas, with major implications for tensions around Taiwan, as China strengthens its ability to seize of the island over what some US officials are warning. a shortened time.
9. China leads in green technology and pollution
As China struggles to shed its dependence on coal, it has emerged as the world’s leading manufacturer of electric vehicles and has been hailed for its commitment to achieving carbon neutrality by 2060. More visibly, the quality of the he air in China has steadily improved over the past decade.
10. Extreme poverty eliminated, inequalities persist
Xi describes the eradication of extreme poverty in China as one of the Communist Party’s main achievements of the past decade.
Inequality, however, has proven a more difficult challenge – particularly the urban-rural income gap – an issue Xi seeks to address with his “common prosperity” policy.
Official figures for China’s Gini coefficient show that despite a slight decline in recent years, it still has one of the highest income inequalities among major economies, along with the United States.
