Leadership change in China: Xi Jinping takes over

Yuba Nath Lamsal
China’s once in a decade leadership change has been completed with current vice-president Xi Jinping assuming the powerful position of general secretary of the Communist Party of China and also the title as the chairman of the Central Military Commission. Xi, son of a farmer and revolutionary general who had fought along with Mao Zedong and other first generation leaders during the revolution that established People’s Republic of China in 1949, will also be elected as new president in early 2013 by the People’s Congress, China’s parliament, when it will be convened. With Xi, 59, taking over the helms of political affairs, the fifth generation leaders would be steering China towards further stability and greater prosperity. In other words, it can be said that Xi era has begun in China.
Mao represented the first generation that laid the foundation of modern China. After the death of Mao, Deng Xiaoping came in representing the second generation leadership and spearheaded reforms and opening up in the economy that revitalized China economically to become an economic superpower of 21^st century. China has now stood in the global arena as a formidable power, which is largely attributed to Deng’s pragmatic and liberal policies, which were followed with more innovation and new vigor by the third and fourth generation leadership. Jiang Zemin belonged to the third generation and Hu Jintao led the fourth generation leadership of China. With Xi in the helms of affairs, China’s leadership has gone to the hands of fourth generation.
The week-long 18^th Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) that was convened in the Great Hall of the People which symbolizes the triumph of the people in the 1949 historic revolution chose party’s leadership after a long and meticulous debate among over 2000 delegates that took part in the conclave. Besides Xi, the CPC Congress elected 250 member central committee, out of which a seven member powerful standing committee was selected comprising senior leaders including Xi Jinping Li Keqiang, Wang Qishan, Zhang Gaoli, Yu Zhengsheng, Zhang Dejiang, and Liu Yunshan. With Xi also taking over the chairmanship of the military body, China’s transition has now come to virtual complete.

Every generation of Chinese leadership has left its indelible benchmark in China’s political and economic spheres having a far-reaching impact also on the global level. While Mao heralded an important and historic era of emancipating China from feudal exploitation and foreign occupation and established an independent country capable of determining its destiny on the strength of its own people, Deng marked a new era of economic modernization and reforms that transformed China into a modern and prosperous country from earlier poverty-stricken and a backward nation. Jiang and Hu gave continuity to the process initiated by Deng and his team. Xi, on his part too, is expected to give continuity to the reforms initiated with focus on stability and improvement in the life of the ordinary citizens, which is evident in the remarks made by him after assuming the leadership of the party. In his first ever remarks after his election to the party’s top position, Xi said that he would work sincerely as per the party’s trust and people’s expectations, which according to him, are the source of tremendous inspiration for the CPC leadership.“The people’s desire for a better life is what we shall fight for,” Xi said adding his main job was to “steadfastly take the road of prosperity for all”. Xi is a determined leader much sharpened and hardened by his difficult childhood time when he spent many years working and living with poor farmers. He knows both the pain and pleasure of rural people mostly belonging to lowest strata of society. To him people are the real heroes and primary source of strength. "It's the people who have created history, and it is the people who are the true heroes. The people are the source of our strength," Xi told reporters in a packed press conference on the day he was elected to the top post of the CPC. Referring to his hard life during the childhood and later success, Xi had once said way back in 2001, “Knives are sharpened on the stone. People are refined through hardship."

China is now determined to consolidate socialism with its own character and ensure that its fruit goes directly to the people especially to those belonging to the lowest strata of the society. Xi has already spoken his mind and heart of giving continuity to what his predecessors including Mao and Deng have initiated. Xi has pledged to pursue the much hyped reforms and political stability that China requires to guide the country to the destination of prosperity which may be in the interest of over 1.3 billion people. XI believes that it can be best ensured only under the leadership of the Communist Party of China.  “The Communist Party would be proud but not complacent, and we will never rest on our laurels to work for the larger interest of the country and its people”, Xi said hinting his policy priority and commitment after assuming the leadership of the world’s largest political party—the CPC.  However, Xi as the chief of the ruling communist party as well as the President of the most populous and powerful country will definitely have enormous challenges to tackle ahead both at home and international level. As a global power, China definitely has its international obligation and it has to act accordingly in the international arena. The world, thus, is watching closely each and every development in China .

Although China is the second largest economy and one of the mightiest countries in the world, it faces enormous challenges in economic, social, administrative and cultural aspect. Politically, China is a stable country and it has to tackle many issues and problems in social and economic fronts more prominently than ever before. Some of these problems China has inherited from the past whereas some are newly emerged ones mainly emanating from global economic crisis. China is an export-based economy and the global economic downturn has already started hitting Chinese economy, which the new leadership has to tackle with greater wisdom and maturity. It seems that the new leadership is well aware of the situation and danger. As a man with high political and administrative acumen, XI seems to have set priority to tackle these problems  and issues.  Apart from vowing to pursue the policies of economic reforms initiated by his precedents with much vigor, he seems to be determined to curb the culprits that may eat up the initiatives taken for transforming China into a prosperous and powerful country. He has hinted to be tough against corruption in order to ensure good and transparent administer.  “The party ( and probably the country as well) suffered from problems of corruption, taking bribes, being out of touch with the people, [and] undue emphasis on bureaucracy and formalities,” Xi vowed to the people in front of the large gathering of media that he would make China free from graft culture. This is his commitment to build and pull up confidence of the Chinese people at home urging a sense of unity among the Chinese people to fight against all ills and odds. At the same time, he has vowed to work closely with the commoners and said “Our journey ahead is long and arduous and we must always have one heart and one mind with the people.”

 In the foreign policy front, not much change is expected. He is more likely to continue with the tough but mature foreign policy in order to defend its national interests and also to promote peace, goodwill, friendship and cooperation in the world. Some pundits have pointed out two clear choices with the new leadership of China. According to them, China under XI’s leadership will be faced with the choices of either focusing more on domestic issues according lesser priority to foreign affairs or vice versa. But this is not the issue. Domestic issues and foreign policy matters are not rival affairs. Instead, they are complementary of one another. China will definitely focus on both the issues with more pragmatic and people oriented domestic policy to ensure growth, development and people’s welfare and mature foreign policy to protect its interest abroad. Now China is facing some dire situation in the neighborhood especially in South China Sea and East China Sea areas. This is not the making of China but because of the extra-continental power which has instigated China’s neighbors against Beijing with the objective of encircling China and weakening Beijing‘s scope and power in the international scene. This particular situation demands more assertive foreign policy on the part of Beijing that may counter and foil the designs of powers that seek to weaken China. Against this background, China’s focus would be equally strong on domestic and foreign affairs to maintain China’s clout, image and influence intact.

The reports presented in the 18^th Congress has stated that China never seeks hegemony and Beijing has no ambition of expanding its territory. This has sent a clear message to the world that China will always follow the path of peaceful development, and there is no need to worry about China’s rise. The report says that China will pursue policies for the larger welfare of the ‘mankind as a whole augmenting the common interests of the human race, a win-win opening strategy, an independent and peaceful foreign policy as well as promoting the democratization of international relations’.

China is the only global power that looks everything from the perspective of the Third World or developing countries, which is always in the interests of poor and weaker countries like Nepal. As a close neighbor, China’s rise and development are always good opportunities for Nepal. Throughout the history, China has never been a threat to Nepal, despite its huge strength. Instead, China has always been a true friend and partner that has always collaborated in the development endeavors of Nepal. It is, thus, expected that China under Xi Jinping’s leadership would further rise and be stronger that would create strong economy and vigorous political system to cater to the needs of its own people at home and help shape a new and a just world order.