How Xi Jinping made himself unchallengeable - BBC News (extracts)
Few foresaw that Xi Jinping would become the most assertive Chinese leader in decades - he is now all but set to secure a historic third term in power.
A decade ago little was known about Mr Xi - apart from the fact that he was a “princeling” because his father was one of the country’s revolutionary leaders. His lineage helped him win the support of party elders, which was crucial to ascending power within the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) as these leaders often wielded political influence even after retirement.
The barrel of a gun
Mao Zedong, the founding father of Communist China, once famously said: “Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun.”
After the establishment of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, Mao ensured it was the party, not the state, which controlled the People’s Liberation Army (PLA). Since then, the CCP leader has also been Central Military Commission (CMC) chairman. Mr Xi was luckier than his predecessor Hu Jintao because he became the CMC chairman instantly - and wasted no time in weeding out opposition within the armed forces.
The most shocking episode came in 2014 and 2015, when former CMC Vice Chairman Xu Caihou and former PLA General Guo Boxiong (both retired) were accused of corruption. It sent a powerful signal to current serving military officers that no one who resists Xi’s control is immune from harm.
Loyalty comes first
After securing the gun barrel, it is essential to bring the knife - the internal security apparatus - under total control.
Two years after Mr Xi came to power, authorities confirmed the arrest of a “tiger”, former domestic security chief Zhou Yongkang, for corruption. He was closely linked with Bo Xilai, another “princeling” who was a rival of Mr Xi’s.
The investigation sent political shockwaves as it shattered the unspoken rule that members of the Politburo Standing Committee, the most powerful decision-making body, would not be subject to criminal punishment.
Observers say Mr Xi’s signature anti-corruption campaign is also used to remove his political rivals and other factions within the party. In the past decade, more than 4,700,000 people have been investigated by anti-corruption authorities.
Crafting a personal brand
In 2018 “Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era” was enshrined in China’s constitution.
It may sound like a mouthful, but having an ideology named after him was something that cemented Mr Xi’s legacy. Before Mr Xi, only Chairman Mao achieved this. Even Deng Xiaoping, known as the architect of China’s modernisation, only had a “theory” under his name, while Mr Xi’s immediate predecessors, Jiang Zemin and Hu Jintao, did not have any thought or theories attached to their names. It’s debatable what exactly Xi Jinping Thought means, but that’s not the point, analysts say - it’s a power move.
Whenever Mao took a policy position, everybody else had to fall in line, and that is also true of Xi.
New China - just like the Old China … 