Xi sees China at global centre
"It will be an era that sees China moving closer to centre stage and making greater contributions to mankind."
President and General Secretary Xi Jinping
CHINA: Xi Jinping hailed the dawn of a new era with China taking ‘‘centre stage’’, as he opened a Communist Party Congress yesterday expected to strengthen his power as president.
Xi spoke of a ‘‘new historical direction’’ for China as it achieved prosperity at home and prestige on the world stage in the coming decades.
He said China would be a ‘‘great modern socialist country’’ by 2050 in what appeared to be his latest pitch to position Beijing at the centre of a new globalist order.
‘‘It will be an era that sees China moving closer to centre stage and making greater contributions to mankind,’’ he said, during a speech that lasted almost 31⁄2 hours.
Xi made his address at the 19th Communist Party Congress to hundreds of delegates, senior officials and former presidents Hu Jintao and Jiang Zemin – who is now aged 91.
‘‘Through a long period of hard work, socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered a new era,’’ he said. ’’This is a new historical direction in our country’s development.’’
The Chinese leader has previously sought to present himself as a focal point for a globalist world – in contrast to President Donald Trump’s ‘‘America first’’ policies in Washington. In January, he likened protectionism to ‘‘locking oneself in a dark room’’ at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
And in May, Xi launched his signature foreign policy initiative – The Belt and Road Initiative, a huge infrastructure project spanning Asia, Africa and Europe with Beijing at its centre.
Concerns have been raised by some nations about how China might use its growing trade links to push its strategic ambitions. It has been more assertive on the world stage in recent years, and is embroiled in a number of territorial disputes with its neighbours.
Xi’s speech signals how China’s ambitions are growing. Previous leaders usually focused on domestic issues at party congresses, rather than foreign affairs.
On the domestic front, Xi signalled a firm line on the Communist Party’s authoritarian rule, saying China ‘‘should not just mechanically copy the political systems of other countries’’.
He also called on members to ‘‘make the party still stronger’’.
More than 2000 hand-picked delegates who are attending the congress will select members of a Central Committee which appoints a 25-member Politburo before an all-powerful Standing Committee is unveiled next Tuesday. Despite the gathering being portrayed as an exercise in democracy, decisions on appointments are in reality made by internal horse-trading.
Many believe Xi will tighten his grip on power by filling key positions across the party and military with his loyal supporters.
Andrew Nathan, an expert from the University of Columbia, said: ‘‘He’ll put on a show of leadership at all levels composed of people who are firmly loyal to him personally. It will be a demonstration of tight political unity around the central idea of Xi’s vision, which is the vision of the China Dream – domestic prosperity and stability, international stature at the level of a great power.’’
Xi sought to rouse party members into helping him achieve the ‘‘Chinese Dream’’.
‘‘The great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is no walk in the park or mere drumbeating and gong-clanging,’’ he said. ‘‘The whole party must be prepared to make ever more difficult and harder efforts.’’
Xi also reached out to foreign businesses seeking to develop trade with the world’s secondbiggest economy. ‘‘China will not close its doors to the world, we will only become more and more open,’’ he said.
The marathon speech at Beijing’s Great Hall of the People was welcomed by delegates as they walked out of the huge building.
– Telegraph Group