China

The Story

Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to get a third term.

Talk to me.

Yesterday, the Chinese Communist Party kicked off its 20th National Congress. The event takes place every five years to determine China’s next leader and who will surround them. By the time it wraps up at the end of the week, leaders are expected to select Xi for an unprecedented third term (since China’s legislature voted in 2018 to get rid of presidential term limits in the country’s constitution). Now, the world is bracing for at least another five years — and likely many more than that — with Xi at the helm.  

Remind me what he’s like?

Since Xi seized control of the Communist Party a decade ago, he has changed the country and its position on the international stage. For starters, he made China a more closed, authoritarian, and repressive place. Under Xi's leadership, Hong Kong turned into a police state. China is reportedly committing human rights violations against Uyghur Muslims and other minorities. And the state built up its censorship, propaganda, and surveillance systems, making it harder for Chinese citizens to protest and voice their discontent. And let’s not forget escalating tensions in the Taiwan Strait, where China has performed a series of military drills around the island and provoked fears of an invasion. Those moves added to China’s tensions with the West — but it still has a number of diplomatic relations.

Such as?

Russia. A third term could mean more time for Xi to strengthen his relationship with his “best friend,” Russian President Vladimir Putin. (Especially since Xi is now poised to remain in power for the rest of his life — and Putin appears to be pursuing the same.) As for Xi’s support within China, that’s hard to determine, since it’s nearly impossible to speak freely against the Communist Party. His fight against corruption has garnered support, but the country’s “zero-COVID” policy has resulted in a lot of discontent because its rolling lockdowns have slowed the Chinese economy. Meanwhile, the US depends heavily on China by importing billions of dollars worth of goods — from ibuprofen to machinery to toys and sports equipment. But that hasn’t stopped President Biden and Xi from trading threats over an invasion of Taiwan.