Chinese Communist Party Congress: Xi Jinping lays down the law
Xi Jinping has warned of ‘dangerous storms’, reaffirmed China’s resolve to use ‘all measures necessary’ to seize Taiwan and doubled down on his strongman leadership.
Xi Jinping has warned of “dangerous storms” ahead, reaffirmed China’s resolve to use “all measures necessary” to seize Taiwan and doubled down on his strongman leadership of the Communist Party in a defiant speech given days before he begins a historic third term in power.
In the almost two-hour long address, Mr Xi – the most dominant Chinese leader in the 21st century – told his most senior comrades on Sunday there would be no change to his uncompromising approach as the party began a week-long political conclave in Beijing.
Mr Xi, 69, said “China’s international influence, appeal and power to shape the world has significantly increased” during his first decade in power, dismissing criticism of his strident handling of foreign affairs.
Although he did not mention the US directly, he in a veiled reference said the Communist Party had overcome “immense risks and challenges” and warned of more turbulence to come in his next five years in power.
“We must … be mindful of potential dangers, be prepared to deal with worst-case scenarios and be ready to withstand high winds, choppy waters and even dangerous storms on our journey ahead,” he said.
Mr Xi’s hardline approach to Taiwan has alarmed countries throughout the Indo-Pacific as it has been accompanied by an unprecedented military build-up of the People’s Liberation Army.
Since 2016, Mr Xi has frozen all political contact with Taiwan’s democratically elected government, which it accuses of being a “separatist” force.
In his speech, Mr Xi reiterated that Beijing would strive to take over Taiwan peacefully but said he would “never promise to renounce the use of force”.
“We reserve the option of taking all measures necessary,” Mr Xi said.
“The wheels of history are rolling on towards China’s reunification and the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.”
Mr Xi – who is also the chairman of China’s military – also said the PLA needed to continue to improve its “combat preparedness”, one of his favourite phrases.
China’s leader enters this party congress with an authority unprecedented since the Mao Zedong era.
During the gathering, he will be given a third, five-year term as China’s ruler. Some analysts speculate that he will rule the country until 2037.
Following his elevation to the Communist Party’s leadership a decade ago, Mr Xi consolidated his power by ordering the biggest political purge in China in half a century,which was billed as an anti-corruption drive.
Mr Xi lauded that campaign, which has continued in the lead-up to this conclave, ensnaring senior figures of China’s security state.
“We have resolved to offend a few thousand rather than fail 1.4 billion and to clear our party of all its ills,” he said on Sunday. “We have used a combination of measures to take out tigers, swat flies and hunt down foxes, punishing corrupt officials of all types.”
The congress, the most important political gathering in China, and held only every five years, comes as Beijing is hit with huge obstacles to its economic development.
Most of the more than 2300 senior comrades in Beijing’s Great Hall of the People wore face masks as they listened to Mr Xi defend his unyielding commitment to his signature “Covid zero” policy, a huge drag on its economy.
“[We] put the people and their lives above all else and tenaciously pursued a dynamic zero Covid policy and launched an all-out people’s war to stop the spread of the virus,” he said.
This year, China’s youth unemployment rate reached almost 20 per cent, a figure not mentioned in Mr Xi’s speech. There was also no word about China’s ongoing property crisis.
Less than a fortnight before the conclave, the Biden administration imposed sweeping sanctions aimed at choking China’s technological development by drastically restricting its access to semiconductors from the US and its partners.
Mr Xi said “high-quality growth” remained a top priority for China and Beijing’s technological advances.
“Development is the party’s top priority in governing. It’s impossible to build a socialist modern strong country in all aspects without solid material and technology foundation.”
The tone-setting speech clearly indicated security concerns would be of elevated importance under his rule.
Mr Xi gave a full-throated celebration of the party’s crackdown in Hong Kong, saying it was now in the hands of “patriots”.
He stressed the importance of national security, one of the hallmarks of his reign.
“National security is the bedrock of national rejuvenation and social stability is a prerequisite for building a strong and prosperous China.”
There was no mention of Russia’s war in Ukraine, nor the recent ramping up of missile tests by China’s only formal ally, North Korea.
Delegates in the Great Hall listening to Mr Xi’s speech energetically annotated their copies of their leader’s wide-ranging speech, which covered party history, stressed the importance of ideology and instructed them to remain loyal to his leadership.
Among the audience was Zhang Gaoli, the retired senior comrade whom tennis player Peng Shuai last year accused of raping her.
It was Mr Zhang’s first public appearance since those allegations were made.
A huge security presence has engulfed Beijing for the conclave.
There were no signs of further unrest following one extremely rare protest in China’s capital last week where a man erected a banner calling for elections, an end to the country’s strict “Covid zero” policy and the removal of Mr Xi.
Beijing’s censorship machine has purged images of the banner from the Chinese internet and the protester was promptly arrested.
The party congress continues until Saturday. The delegates will select new members to join Mr Xi on the party’s seven-person standing committee and 25-person politburo.
Bates Gill, the executive director of the Asia Society Policy Institute’s Center for China Analysis, said the speech underlined that Mr Xi was leading the world into a “more contested future”.
While it did not indicate any change to his overall foreign policy approach, the speech did reiterate Mr Xi’s urgency about reclaiming Taiwan.
“He is determined during his leadership tenure to make sure that Taiwan becomes a part of China,” Professor Gill told The Australian.
“In ways that his predecessors had not, he has linked that goal very directly to his signature strategy – the rejuvenation of Chinese people.
“It does not leave very much room for flexibility or accommodation.”
More Coverage
