Xi Jinping is here to stay - Victor Shih

Victor Shih

President Xi Jinping has developed into one of the strongest leaders in China since Deng Xiaoping, and it looks like he is going to stay on longer as party secretary, says political analyst Victor Shih to AFP. Since there is no obvious successor, China´s political elites might have to accept that, as they gather for their annual conclave at the Beidaihe beach resort .

AFP:

China's constitution sets term limits for presidents and ministers, but there is no such rule for the party secretary. Analysts say if Xi's close ally Wang Qishan, a PSC cadre who is due to retire, is allowed a second term it could establish a precedent for the party chief. 

Xi has made his enduring ambition clear by installing himself as chairman of most of the powerful new groups within the party, said Victor Shih, professor at the University of California, San Diego. 

Doing so "increases the threshold for anyone to replace him," he told AFP. "Moreover, there is no heir apparent now."

More at AFP.

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