Chinese leaders set stage for Xi to rule through 2027

The Chinese Communist Party approved a resolution on Thursday that will set the foundation for President Xi Jinping to continue his rule through 2027.

Top Chinese Communist Party officials said Xi’s ideals represented “the essence of Chinese culture,” according to The Associated Press. They also concluded that establishing Xi’s position as the central part of the party was “of decisive significance” in achieving “the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.”

The comments from top Chinese Communist Party officials came at the conclusion of a four-day meeting, or “plenum,” in Beijing, where the officials passed the resolution that will likely extend Xi’s rule, according to the AP.

Roughly 370 party officials attended the meeting, according to Reuters, which noted they convene every five years to select the party’s new leaders.

Xi is expected to seek a third term as party general secretary, the AP reported, which would go against a 20-year custom that leaders step down after two terms. Leaders serve for five-year terms in China.

The resolution passed by the Chinese Communist Party was only the third of its kind in the group’s history, according to the AP. The motion was previously approved for Mao Zedong, the first Chinese Communist Party member to run the government, and another under Deng Xiaoping, who spearheaded reforms that transformed China into an economic stronghold.

Thursday’s resolution reportedly elevates Xi to their level in a symbolic nature.

The Chinese Communist Party previously nixed Xi’s term limits as president in 2018, the AP noted, which suggested that it wanted to keep the leader in power.