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Xi consolidates power with new ideology

October 21, 2017 00:00:00


China's President Xi Jinping has created his own political ideology, in a step towards entrenching his position at the top of the Communist Party, reports BBC.

Top officials have made multiple mentions of "Xi Jinping Thought" at the Communist Party Congress.

The party is widely expected to rewrite its constitution to enshrine this theory before congress ends next week.

The move would elevate him to the level of previous leaders Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping.

Correspondents say it would signal Mr Xi's enormous authority within the party, and make it virtually impossible for others to challenge him.

Mr Xi opened the Communist Party congress - which determines who rules China and the country's direction for the next term - in a three hour speech on Wednesday.

On Thursday, numerous senior party officials praised "Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese characteristics for a new era" in state media reports, and said it was "the latest achievement in adapting Marxism to the Chinese context".

Another BBC report adds: A top Chinese official has claimed several high-ranking members of the Communist Party had plotted to seize power from President Xi Jinping.

These party members have since been arrested or jailed in a wide-reaching corruption crackdown launched by Mr Xi.

Some observers have said the crackdown was used to conduct a political purge of Mr Xi's opponents.

The latest claim of a power struggle appears to contradict the Communist Party's unified image.

On Thursday, the chief of China's securities commissions, Liu Shiyu, listed names of six "high-ranking and powerful officials, who were hugely greedy and hugely corrupt, and who plotted to usurp the party's leadership and seize state power".

Mr Liu's list included top names whose downfalls have attracted intense scrutiny, such as former security chief Zhou Yongkang, prominent politician Bo Xilai, and Sun Zhengcai, a member of the decision-making Politburo body who was only recently expelled.

The other names were former presidential aide Ling Jihua, the late army general Xu Caihou, and former top military officer Guo Boxiong.


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