The People's Daily published an opinion piece by a "Study Group" that calls for greater concentration of power in the paramount leader to avoid direct confrontation with US and economic stagnation.
Beijing (AsiaNews) – To avoid the Thucydides and middle-income traps, China has to give more powers to President Xi Jinping, this according to an article on the People's Daily attributed to a member of a so-called ‘Study Group’, most probably the top echelons of the Communist newspaper.
The ‘Thucydides Trap’ is named after the Greek historian who wrote the History of the Peloponnesian War, describing the problems that develop when a rising power challenges a ruling power. According to historians, such a situation turned into war in 11 of 15 known cases in the past 500 years.
The ‘middle-income trap’ describes economies that become stuck when they reach a certain level of economic development. This is the case for many countries in Latin America, the Middle East and North Africa.
The article released on Wednesday night through the WeChat account operated by the overseas edition of People’s Daily said that Xi should have more “authority and commitment” to “reshape China’s political landscape” and “take overall responsibility for various party tasks”.
It follows a series of moves in recent weeks to develop the cult of personality around Xi who currently is the president of the People’s Republic of China, general secretary of the Communist Party of China, chairman of the Central Military Commission, as well as head of the newly formed steering committee on economic and social reforms and the new National Security Commission, which were setup under his rule.
For Xigen Li, associate professor at City University’s Media and Communication Department, the lack of freedom to take the initiative risks stifling creativity and encouraging a wait-and-see attitude in situations that demand immediate attention and solutions.
In addition, the great China expert Willy Lam said that such steps are likely to push the country towards a new Cultural Revolution.