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Xi Jinping received near unanimous support in parliament. Lintao Zhang/Getty Images

China clears path for Xi Jinping to rule for life

The parliament voted 2,958 in favour and two against abolishing presidential term limits.

CHINA’S XI JINPING has secured a path to rule indefinitely as parliament abolished presidential term limits, handing him almost total authority to pursue a vision of transforming the nation into an economic and military superpower.

The move reverses the era of “collective” leadership and orderly succession that was promoted by late paramount leader Deng Xiaoping to ensure stability following the turbulent one-man rule of Communist China’s founder Mao Zedong.

The historic constitutional amendment cleared the rubber-stamp parliament with 2,958 in favour, two against, three abstentions and one invalid vote, despite an unusual bout of online criticism that censors have scrambled to extinguish.

Xi stood up first at the imposing Great Hall of the People in Beijing to cast his paper ballot in a red box, as delegates of the National People’s Congress applauded after each vote on the constitutional amendment to lift the two five-year term limit for the presidency.

The first constitutional amendment in 14 years had been expected to breeze through the legislature, which has never rejected a Communist Party diktat in its half-century of existence.

“This is the urgent wish of the common people,” Ju Xiuqin, a delegate from northeastern Heilongjiang province, told AFP, echoing party claims that lifting term limits had the unanimous support of “the masses”.

But the vote sparked some negative comments on Twitter-like Weibo, with one user defying censors to write “we’re over” while another said “we are back in the Qing Dynasty”, referring to China’s last imperial era.

The package of amendments included major provisions to inscribe Xi’s eponymous political mantra in the constitution, give the Communist Party an even larger role in the country’s affairs and expand the president’s anti-corruption campaign.

Xi, 64, has consolidated power since 2012 when he was appointed to the country’s top office, general secretary of the Communist Party.

While the position has no term limits, his two predecessors both gave it up after two terms as part of an orderly process established by Deng.

‘Soft coup’

The country’s presidency is a largely ceremonial office, but the constitutional limits meant Xi would have had to give it up in 2023.

But with the new amendments, he could now have a lifetime to push his goal of turning China into a global economic powerhouse with a “world-class” military by mid-century.

His rise has been accompanied by tighter restrictions on civil society, with the detention of activists and lawyers, and stricter limits on the already heavily controlled internet.

At the same time, he gained a measure of popularity among Chinese people through a relentless crackdown on corruption that has punished more than a million party officials, and sidelined potential rivals.

“I think that during the past five years, he has been carrying out a soft coup, including making the Politburo a mere figurehead,” Chinese political commentator Wu Qiang told AFP, referring to the 25-member Communist Party body one level under the ruling council.

“He wants to prevent power from falling into the hands of technocrats like Jiang (Zemin) and Hu (Jintao),” Wu said, referring to Xi’s two predecessors.

The Communist Party has argued that the move merely aligns the presidency with the limit-free titles of party secretary and military chief.

Shen Chunyao, chairman of the legislature’s legal affairs panel, brushed aside a foreign reporter’s question about fears that a return to one-man rule could spark a power struggle, telling a press conference: “Those assumptions, guesses and extrapolations don’t exist.”

Secret path

The party has claimed that “the masses” unanimously called for the removal of term limits.

But the proposal was kept secret until it was revealed in a state media report on 25 February, a week before the legislature’s opening session.

The party later disclosed that Xi had presided over a meeting of the Politburo in September during which the leadership decided to revise the constitution.

The party then sought proposals and opinions, culminating in a decision in late January to introduce constitutional amendments at the NPC.

“Xi Jinping has presided over so many important projects such as economic reforms and the fight against corruption. There was a consensus that we supported him having more time to finish his work,” said Dou Yanli, a delegate from eastern Shandong province.

Activists fear that removing term limits may lead to a further tightening of already strict controls on media, civil society and religion, as Xi tries to impose his highly ideological vision of socialism on every aspect of society.

Since the move was first announced, online censors have blocked phrases and words such as “I disagree” and “emperor” and the image of Winnie the Pooh, the cartoon bear to which Xi has been compared.

Beijing-based activist Hu Jia, who says authorities forced him to leave the capital during the congress, called the amendment “illegal”.

“Xi asked all people to obey the constitution, and then used the amendment to place himself above it,” he said. “He used the constitution as the ultimate legal weapon that binds officials and all citizens.”

© – AFP 2018

Read: 2018 could see us facing a ‘big unexpected crisis’ equivalent to the 2008 financial recession

Read: Trump to hold historic first meeting with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un

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    Mute Gerard J. Hannan
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    Mar 28th 2018, 7:46 AM

    Hopefully now that things are calming he might take time out to release a new Gangham song for us fans.

    101
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    Mute pats brandon
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    Mar 28th 2018, 7:06 AM

    Quick! Someone stop Leo before he invites him here!

    74
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    Mute Fabio Dillon
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    Mar 28th 2018, 7:09 AM

    @pats brandon: what has Leo got to do with this?

    79
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    Mute nelly
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    Mar 28th 2018, 7:58 AM

    @Fabio Dillon: it’s called a humorous comment and as for Leo and Kim that won’t happen as there is no way you can be seen to meet with a monster, who has destroyed his peoples lives and forced more than a few people to leave their home and birth place for a better life and whose people are now suffering from food shortage, no money and health system that is 3rd world and has people dying as a result.
    But if Kim has no problem with this and can overlook Leo’s faults and failings to the irish people so be it

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    Mute Walt Jabsco
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    Mar 28th 2018, 8:12 AM

    @nelly:
    Trying to compare Ireland to NK is moronic, even if its an attempt to be humourous.

    26
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    Mute nelly
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    Mar 28th 2018, 8:27 AM

    @Walt Jabsco: so sorry snowflake, did I upset you

    27
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    Mute Dessie Deratta
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    Mar 28th 2018, 8:28 AM

    @Walt Jabsco: who performed your humour bypass?

    Damn good whoever it was….

    22
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    Mute Walt Jabsco
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    Mar 28th 2018, 9:04 AM

    @Dessie Deratta:
    I have a great sense of humour thanks sweetheart – it’s just that there was nothing even remotely funny in Nelly’s comment.

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    Mute nelly
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    Mar 28th 2018, 9:20 AM

    @Walt Jabsco: 25 thumbs up and counting says different. Unfortunately the journal and snowflakes, like yourself got rid of the red thumbs down, as you don’t do rejection well. Smiley face, smiley face, humorous face, laughing face. Wave bye bye

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    Mute Michael Geraghty Bodycoach
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    Mar 28th 2018, 10:17 AM

    @Walt Jabsco: I’d say you’re great Craic over a pint.

    9
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    Mute Colm Mullen
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    Mar 28th 2018, 10:34 AM

    @nelly: except for food shortage, I agree 100%

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    Mute tweetforjunk
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    Mar 28th 2018, 11:38 AM

    @Walt Jabsco: No you don’t and yes there was.

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    Mute Anton Friendo
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    Mar 28th 2018, 11:55 AM

    @pats brandon: Leo can invite Justin Trudea for an afternoon of ..
    Orange Mocha Frappuccino’s ! !!!!
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTrxEQnPtAg

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    Mute Fabio Dillon
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    Mar 28th 2018, 3:55 PM

    @nelly: yeah it’s not a humorous comment. Completely and utterly a non relevant comment. Thanks for your dribble though.

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    Mute pc_comments
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    Mar 28th 2018, 7:33 AM

    Chins finally taking some responsibility for this rogue leader with nuclear weapons which they created…….Have to give Trump some credit for this…..

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    Mute Sean Conway
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    Mar 28th 2018, 7:56 AM

    @pc_comments: What are you talking about?

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    Mute Dessie Deratta
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    Mar 28th 2018, 8:24 AM

    @pc_comments: in this case you could use the common typo “rouge regime” and still be right.

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    Mute WoodlandBard
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    Mar 28th 2018, 10:13 AM

    @pc_comments: yes, puzzled myself. Read somewhere, USA has 5500 nuke warheads, Russia has about 4000 nukes, China has 250, India and Pakistan have about 5 each, and there is world panic that Rocket Man may have 1 ???

    6
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    Mute Dessie Deratta
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    Mar 28th 2018, 8:03 AM

    Expel some Chinese diplomats.

    We don’t need an actual reason….or must we wait till British spooks instruct us to?

    37
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    Mute Sean Conway
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    Mar 28th 2018, 9:04 AM

    @Dessie Deratta: What has china done on ireland?

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    Mute Ronaldo Blanc
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    Mar 28th 2018, 2:09 PM

    @Sean Conway: What have the Russians done to Ireland? Tory boys Leo and Simon wanting to please their superiors.

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    Mute Harry Whitehead
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    Mar 28th 2018, 6:23 PM

    @Dessie Deratta: Stick to your day job.

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    Mute Dessie Deratta
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    Mar 28th 2018, 9:34 PM

    @Sean Conway: As we see from the Russian affair we don’t need a reason…neither China nor Russia have every done Ireland any harm.

    But lets expel them to show solidarity with the Pentagon.

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    Mute Ger Burke
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    Mar 28th 2018, 8:11 AM

    Donald will sort out all those lads

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    Mute Larry Doyle
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    Mar 28th 2018, 11:20 AM

    @Ger Burke: The guy can’t even hire a lawyer.

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    Mute Ger Burke
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    Mar 28th 2018, 3:00 PM

    @Larry Doyle: Thanks for the leftie input. Took a while for you to come up with that I’d say.

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    Mute Centerro
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    Mar 28th 2018, 8:00 AM

    Now, let’s hope these two lads can sort things out themselves. No need for the US to stick their beak in. N.korea are no more a threat to the world than Wales are.

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    Mute Walt Jabsco
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    Mar 28th 2018, 8:16 AM

    @Centerro:
    Tell that to the South Koreans

    15
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    Mute Dessie Deratta
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    Mar 28th 2018, 8:26 AM

    @Walt Jabsco: actually the SoKos are scared that Trump will start a war that will kill millions of them.

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    Mute Walt Jabsco
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    Mar 28th 2018, 9:08 AM

    @Dessie Deratta:
    It’s possible to be afraid of both the US and NK you know. They just don’t want a war full stop, and who could blame them?

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    Mute Sean Conway
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    Mar 28th 2018, 9:34 AM

    @Walt Jabsco: It’s ok for th US to have a civil war. but korea or anyone shouldn’t?

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    Mute Mick Jordan
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    Mar 28th 2018, 1:08 PM

    @Sean Conway: They did have one. 1950 to 1952. Read a history book.

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    Mute Adam Reid
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    Mar 28th 2018, 11:28 AM

    Another triumph for Trump.

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    Mute Liam Rogers
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    Mar 28th 2018, 9:00 AM

    Its a good step forward

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    Mute Adrian
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    Mar 28th 2018, 8:17 AM

    Funny how a guy that’s worshipped so much in North Korea is so scared that he has to take secret trips abroad. Thought he’d be a guy for full state honours when he travels abroad. But then the north Koreans probably don’t even know he’s gone!

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    Mute Dessie Deratta
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    Mar 28th 2018, 8:31 AM

    @Adrian: apparently he is afraid of flying.

    Perhaps not for the same reason that many people are.

    9
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    Mute Me_a_monkey
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    Mar 28th 2018, 9:10 AM

    @Adrian: probably so much secrecy because he’s scared of being assassinated or being kidnapped by the CIA.

    If either happened the country would deny it and his clone would take over!

    8
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    Mute johnbunton
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    Mar 28th 2018, 12:09 PM

    I’d love to go for a pint him

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    Mute johnbunton
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    Mar 28th 2018, 12:09 PM

    @johnbunton: with him

    1
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