China Amends Party Charter, Extends Jinping’s Term

Beijing: China on Saturday corrected the Communist party constitution to further strengthen leader Xi Jinping’s core position and include opposition to Taiwan’s independence in the charter for the first time.

At the closing session of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, a resolution to add “Two establishments” and “Two upholds” was explicitly passed, aimed at solidifying Xi’s core position in the party and to upgrade the guiding role his political thought.

The initial “Two Establishes” signifies: To lay out Xi’s status as the core of the CPC’s Central Committee and the entire party and establishes the “directing role of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for the New Period”.

Two Upholds mean: Protecting the core status of Xi within the CPC and defending the centralized power of the CPC. Together, the augmentations upgrade Xi’s position as China’s most powerful leader since Mao Zedong, the founder of modern China in 1949.

The constitution was likewise revised during the last national congress in 2017 when the “Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics in the New Era” – was added, which put him comparable to leaders Mao and Deng Xiaoping.

The CPC took on a resolution on Taiwan, contradicting Taiwanese freedom in its constitution, a sign of Beijing’s solidifying position against the self-ruled democracy that China claims as its territory. “(The Congress) agrees to include in the party constitution statements on… resolutely opposing and deterring separatists seeking ‘Taiwan independence,” the resolution said.

Regarding the change added to the constitution in a setting of Taiwan and the military, the official proclamation said: “These revisions reaffirm the party’s commitment to building a strong military with Chinese characteristics, making sustained and steady progress with the One Country, Two Systems policy, advancing national reunification…”

The key meeting, which started on October 16, supported Xi’s core position among the CPC leadership, all except guaranteeing he will be given a phenomenal third term in power on Sunday when China’s new top leadership will be divulged. All party members will be obliged to maintain Comrade Xi Jinping’s core position on the Party Central Committee and in the party overall, a consistently passed resolution on changes to the party charter said.

“These revisions will help all party members uphold and strengthen the Central Committee’s centralized, unified leadership and enhance cohesion and forge the party’s soul with Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era.”

Different expressions or thoughts that were adopted in the constitution include developing a battling spirit, advancing “Chinese-style modernization”, perceiving the party as the “preeminent political leadership force” and bit by bit accomplishing common prosperity.