CHINA: Lawmakers hold a meeting in Beijing this week to initiate reforms that would make Chinese President Xi Jingping’s control of China stronger in terms of governance and economy.
A rubber-stamp parliament, the National People’s Congress (NPC), would ensure Jingping’s continuity as president, making his third term in office, with his top-appointed team.
A new premier would also be named with the departure of incumbent Li Keqiang. Li Qiang, the Shanghai party secretary and Jingpig’s most trusted friend, would probably take up the role of the new premier.
Qiang angered the locals as he oversaw a long and ruthless COVID lockdown. Key positions like the commerce minister, head of the national development and reform commission, propaganda chief, and head of state security are yet to be decided.
At the commencement of the meeting, it was stated that a reduced economic growth would be pursued by China with a 5% target this year. The defence expenditure would rise by more than 7%.
The NPC meeting happening this week will name Xingping the leader of the country as the elected President of China and head of the armed forces.
In the 2018 NPC meeting, the lawmakers ensured the erasure of term limitations on the presidency. This means that Jingping can remain a leader for life.
This occurs during a continuing crackdown that has seen a number of eminent businessmen disappear in the last few years, with one of the top Chinese dealmakers in the tech sector going missing last year.
The meetings called “Two Sessions” occur annually, but this year’s meeting is especially important since significant revamping would take place with the delegates’ efforts to reorient the prime Communist Party and the institutions of the state.
Significant control would also be exercised over groups that look after the finance sector and the science and technology departments, and simultaneously in the private enterprises, efforts would be made to “strengthen party-building work.”
This would in turn create indistinct boundaries between the Chinese Communist Party and the government and, at the same time, channel the energy towards concretizing control over the private sector.
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