China’s communist party to cement president Xi’s legacy in charter
“Xi Jinping Thought” to be included in CPC, according to Xinhua; Xi’s is only the third doctrine to be added to party’s charter after that of Mao, Deng
President Xi Jinping’s political doctrine has been distilled into “Xi Jinping Thought”, state media reported on Thursday, the latest indication that the Chinese leader’s political theories will be added to the Communist Party of China (CPC) charter.
“Xi Jinping Thought” has 14 principles, agency Xinhua reported, quoting top Chinese leaders as saying that Xi’s thoughts are the highlights of the ongoing 19th national congress of the CPC.
The inclusion of Xi’s theory will further consolidate the leader’s position and it will be the first time that a Chinese leader’s political ideas would have been added to CPC charter by name since Deng Xiaoping and Mao Zedong.
The Xinhua report said the CPC has created what is being called the “Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era”.
“The Thought is the biggest highlight of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and a historic contribution to the Party’s development,” Zhang Dejiang, one of the top Chinese leaders and member of the elite seven-member standing committee of the CPC politburo said at a panel discussion on Wednesday.
“This important thought represents the latest achievement in adapting Marxism to the Chinese context, and is an important component of the system of theories of socialism with Chinese characteristics,” Yu Zhengsheng, another standing committee member, said.
The report listed 14-point fundamental principles of the “thought”, ranging from ensuring Party leadership over all work to promoting the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.
There’s been no official announcement yet about Xi’s thoughts being included in the charter but official news agency Xinhua would not have carried the report without sanction from CPC authorities.
If the amendment is put in place, it would be the latest sign of President Xi’s rapid rise in the 1.4 billion country as one of the strongest Chinese leaders in decades. He took over CPC chief in 2012.
Xi is already the CPC general secretary, the chairperson of the Central Military Commission and the “core” of the party, which he was anointed as in October last year. He also heads an economic group overseeing reforms and is also the commander-in-chief of the armed forces.
The CPC has often been accused of forwarding and promoting jargon but that they didn’t stop state media from widely publicising Xi’s thoughts when they were first put forward in 2015.
So far, the CPC charter only has “Mao Zedong’s Thoughts” and “Deng Xiaoping’s Theory” included in it by their names.