10/24/2017, 08.59
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Xi Jinping like Mao Zedong: his 'thought' and his name in the Party’s constitution

by Wang Zhicheng

Only Mao and Deng Xiaoping have their names included in the PCC charter. According to observers, "Xi's thought" is a mixture of Maoist type slogans, wrapped in a nationalistic pride in which the Party's totalitarian power emerges, with Xi at its "core". Preparations for new Central Committee and the Politburo. Xi will not have absolute power, but shared with other factions, especially those of Jiang Zemin and Hu Jintao. Wang Qishan retires.

Beijing (AsiaNews) - The Chinese Communist Party's Congress underway in the capital has unanimously voted "Xi Jinping's Thought" into the party's constitution, putting the current secretary-general at the same level as Mao Zedong and by Deng Xiaoping, the only leaders named so far in the document. In the evening session, more than 2,000 MPs decided that " Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era " would become a guide for CCP action.

The phrase, mentioned first in the three hour marathon speech held by Xi himself on October 18, was repeatedly echoed. The Secretary-General of the CCP, who is also president of the republic, director of the Central Military Commission and head of the Office for Economic Reforms, outlined the "Chinese dream": a future China of  widespread prosperity and great international power , provided that the Party guides and controls every aspect of the nation's life, from economy to religion.

Some observers wonder what kind of "thought" Xi Jinping’s is. They consider it a mixture of Maoist-type slogans, wrapped in a nationalist pride in which the party's totalitarian power emerges, of which Xi is the "core".

In today's session, the last of the Congress, 2336 delegates must vote for the new Central Committee and their alternate members. The new Standing Committee and the Politburo will emerge from among them. According to rumors, the Politburo will not only have Xi’s close collaborators or protected, but also members of the "Shanghai Clique", linked to Jiang Zemin, and the Youth Communist League, linked to former President Hu Jintao.

Almost as a proof of this power sharing among the various factions of the CCP, during his speech Xi was flanked by Jiang Zemin and Hu Jintao (Figure 3). In the anti-corruption campaign conducted by Xi since 2012, many defendants of Jiang and Hu have been jailed and condemned in an all-out battle fight between the various groups. Now it would seem that an alliance and the unity has been rebuilt.

It should be noted that the name of Wang Qishan, the great ally of Xi Jinping and so far head of the Central Commission for Disciplinary Inspections and Anti-Corruption, does not appear to be on the list for the Central Committee. The retirement of Wang, 69, confirms the idea that Xi has come to an agreement with the other currents within the Party. Some observers had thought that Xi Jinping was heading for absolute power.

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