Changes since 2012 impact China and beyond
In the past decade, the People's Republic of China has grown enormously in economic strength and global stature. At the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2012, Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, put forward the "two centenary goals". The goals mean building a moderately well-off society in all respects by 2020, just before the centenary year of the CPC in 2021, and a great modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious and beautiful by the middle of this century, while the People's Republic's 100th anniversary is 2049, China Daily reported. The Party and the leadership mobilized tens of millions of people to achieve the first goal, the key component of which was the eradication of extreme poverty, which was achieved in 2020. At the start of the targeted poverty alleviation program in 2013, a little less than 100 million people were identified as living below the poverty line. Seven years later, the figure was zero. As Xi said, "thanks to the sustained efforts of the Chinese people from generation to generation, those who once lived in poverty no longer have to worry about food or clothing or access to education, housing and medical insurance". Eradicating extreme poverty in a developing country of over 1.4 billion people, which at the time of the founding of the People's Republic in 1949 was one of the poorest countries in the world－characterised by widespread malnutrition, illiteracy, foreign domination and technological backwardness－is truly an extraordinary achievement. With the realization of the first centenary goal, the second goal has come into sharp focus. Building a great modern socialist country in all respects implies reducing relative poverty, increasing per capita GDP, narrowing gaps between regions and different income groups, and achieving ecologically sustainable, high-quality development. At the 19th CPC National Congress in 2017, a set of objectives for 2035 were adopted as staging posts to achieve the longer-term 2049 goal. These include making China a global leader in science and technology, creating a green economy, reducing the urban-rural income gap, and increasing per capita GDP to the level of a moderately developed country. China has already taken important steps to realize its targets for 2035 and the middle of this century. While investing heavily in education and research, and establishing China as a global leader in several key areas of technology (including telecommunications, artificial intelligence and advanced manufacturing), the Party leadership has reaffirmed and placed renewed emphasis on the principle of common prosperity. While common prosperity has always been an important goal of Chinese socialism, extraordinarily rapid economic growth over the last four decades has led to some negative side effects, such as high levels of inequality. That's why since 2020, the government has put more emphasis on tackling issues such as the disorderly expansion of unscrupulous private companies including some high-tech enterprises, speculation in the housing sector, widening income inequality, and private education providers. This program is already producing important results and helping improve the lot of ordinary people. China has also stepped up its contribution to the global fight against climate change and to efforts to preserve biodiversity, reduce air pollution and ensure the supply of clean water. Thanks to his love for the environment, President Xi has reiterated the importance of ecological civilization in the past decade and put environmental sustainability at the key position of Chinese policymaking, according to China Daily. Last year, China vowed to peak its carbon dioxide emissions before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality before 2060. Since announcing these goals, the Chinese government has developed systematic programs for achieving them. It has already made extraordinary progress on environmental issues, and is unquestionably the world leader in renewable energy, with the biggest generation capacity of clean energy. As for China's forest cover, it has increased from 12 percent in the early 1980s to 23 percent today. It has established national parks covering 230,000 square kilometres, and is the global leader in production and use of electric cars, trains and buses. China is also home to more than 90 percent of the world's electric buses and 70 percent of high-speed railways. China's integration into the global economy, its friendly relations with other countries and its reputation as a responsible and peace-oriented power have all increased significantly since 2012. Besides, the Belt and Road Initiative, proposed in 2013, has transformed the investment landscape for infrastructure and connectivity, particularly in the developing world. And more than 140 countries that have joined the initiative can now address their infrastructure, telecommunications, transport and energy needs, China Daily reported. Furthermore, addressing the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly last year, Xi proposed the "Global Development Initiative" and called on countries to work closely together in order to revitalize the global economy and "pursue more robust, greener and more balanced global development". This shows that, while certain countries continue to implement Cold War policies focused on consolidating their hegemony, China's foreign policy is aligned with the international community's demand for peace, progress and sustainable development, and for building a community with a shared future for mankind.
China's Communist Party Congress: A really simple guide
China's ruling Communist Party is expected to hand a third five-year term to Xi Jinping, arguably the most powerful Chinese leader since Mao Zedong in the 1970s, BBC reported.
The decision - which comes after a two-term limit was abolished in 2018 - would further tighten his grip on China.
It is possible that Mr Xi, 69, will remain president for the rest of his life.
The historic move is due at a Communist Party Congress in Beijing beginning on 16 October - one of the most important meetings in the party's history.
Xi Jinping currently holds three top positions
- As General Secretary he is the chief of China's Communist Party.
- As president he is China's head of state.
- As Chairman of China's Central Military Commission he commands the country's armed forces.
He is also referred to as Paramount or Supreme leader.
Mr Xi is likely to retain the first two titles, party General Secretary and Central Military Commission chairman at the party congress - which takes place every five years - and the presidency at the annual National People's Congress in Spring 2023.
Some 2,300 delegates will gather in Tiananmen Square's Great Hall of the People for about a week.
About 200 of them will be selected to join the party's central committee, plus around 170 alternate members.
And the Politburo will appoint the members of the Politburo standing committee.
These are the elite of the elite.
There are currently seven members, including the party's General Secretary Xi Jinping, according to BBC.
Not all of the action takes place at the congress itself.
The central committee is expected to meet the day after the main congress ends.
Why is it important?
Mr Xi will lead the world's second-largest economy and one of its biggest military forces.
Some analysts say he is likely to push China towards a more authoritarian political stance in a third five-year term.
"China under Xi is moving in a totalitarian direction," says Professor Steve Tsang of London University's School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS).
Professor Tsang says the Congress could see changes to the party's constitution, with "Xi Jinping thought" being further enshrined as the party's guiding philosophy.
"Xi Jinping thought" is Mr Xi's brand of Chinese socialism, an assertively nationalist philosophy which is highly sceptical of private business.
Under his leadership the Chinese authorities have cracked down on powerful companies in several sectors of the economy.
"If that happens, they'll effectively make him a dictator," Prof Tsang says.
China's top leadership team, to be unveiled at the congress, will set a huge range of policies.
Any hint of China's future direction will be followed closely around the world, particularly on the key challenges: economic, political, diplomatic and environmental.
China's economic challenge
China's economy has boomed in recent decades.
But it now faces serious economic disruption from Covid lockdowns, rising prices and a major property crisis.
Growing fears of a global recession triggered by the war in Ukraine have also damaged confidence.
Economic growth under Mr Xi's leadership is lower than under previous presidents Jiang Zemin and Hu Jintao, BBC reported.
Some analysts say the legitimacy of the communist government rests heavily on its ability to deliver higher incomes and good jobs for Chinese workers.
So bad economic performance in the next five years could spell serious political trouble for Mr Xi.
The congress will set the stage for a shake up of key economic roles including central bank governor and premier.
Zero Covid
China's zero Covid approach to the pandemic is one of Xi's landmark policies.
While much of the world has been returning to normal, China's authorities have intensified their efforts to contain outbreaks, with strict lockdowns, mass testing and lengthy quarantines.
Reports say that more than 70 cities including Shenzen and Chengdu have been under full or partial lockdown measures in recent weeks, with tens of millions of residents affected, huge numbers of businesses disrupted and reports of public discontent.
Mr Xi has vowed to "resolutely fight against any words and acts that distort, doubt or deny" his Covid policy.
A major outbreak in the run-up to the Congress, or during the meeting itself, risks damaging Mr Xi's image of competence.
Some observers say the party may use the Congress to declare victory over the pandemic and end the zero Covid policy.
Alternatively, the party may argue that China - unlike other countries - values people's lives more than the economy, in which case the policy will continue.
Taiwan and the West
Mr Xi has also favoured a hardline approach to relations with the West, particularly over Taiwan.
A visit to Taiwan by the Speaker of the US House of Representatives in August prompted China to launch military exercises, including live missile firing, around the island.
China sees Taiwan as a breakaway province that will eventually be under Beijing's control. Taiwan sees itself as distinct from the mainland, BBC reported.
Mr Xi has said "reunification" with Taiwan "must be fulfilled" by 2049, the centenary of the People's Republic - and has not ruled out the possible use of force to achieve this.
Security experts say that a Chinese takeover of Taiwan would shatter US power in the western Pacific Ocean and beyond.
Taiwan is of huge strategic importance to the West, part of the so-called "first island chain", which includes a list of territories which have been allied to the US for decades.
PM Deuba urges NRNs to invest in Nepal
Prime Minister and Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba has urged the non-resident Nepalis to use their skills, capital and technology for the development of Nepal. Speaking at a program organized on the occasion of NRN Day on Tuesday, he urged all the Nepalis living abroad to invest in Nepal. The prime minister also urged the Nepalis to search foreign investors in coordination with the Nepali embassies abroad and invest in Nepal. He also urged the Nepalis to give priority to the Nepali products and take them abroad. Prime Minister Deuba claimed that the citizenship will be provided to the non-resident Nepalis by amending the act in the near future. Meanwhile, he thanked the NRN for its support in Nepal during the Covid-19 pandemic among other occasions.
Who will succeed Xi Jinping as China’s leader? It’s complicated.
All eyes are on Xi Jinping at the Chinese Communist Party’s 20th National Congress that begins in Beijing on Sunday. Barring a major upset, the most powerful Chinese leader in decades will extend his rule, undoing the previous convention of top leaders serving two five-year terms before stepping aside, The Washington Post reported.
With authority tightly held in one man’s hands, it’s easy to forget the remaining 2,295 delegates attending the conclave in Beijing. But it is among these jockeying cadres that experts in Chinese politics search for clues about just how much power Xi has — and how long he is liable to hold it.
The primary focus will be on the Politburo’s Standing Committee, the seven-member body at the pinnacle of decision-making power. If Xi is able to stack the committee with loyalists, then there will be few signs of checks on his personal control.
Turnover at the top of the party had previously been encouraged by an informal age limit known as “seven up, eight down” whereby officials who are 67 years of age or younger take on new positions, while those 68 years old and above retire. Sticking to this rule-of-thumb would create two new slots for Xi to fill with allies.
But that norm may no longer hold. Xi, who is 69, is at minimum set to ignore the purported rule for himself — and may also do so to promote allies to the Politburo. “It’s not about age any more. It’s about whether you are on Xi’s side,” said Yang Zhang, a sociologist at American University’s School of International Service.
One key indicator of Xi’s power will be if extra members of the current committee are pushed into early retirement, with most attention being on Premier Li Keqiang, who at 67 has not reached the informal age limit.
The other big question is whether a successor will emerge from the reshuffle. Before Xi, a pathway for future leaders had begun to form, where an heir-apparent took on a Standing Committee position and the vice presidency five years before they were appointed to the top job. Both Xi and his predecessor, Hu Jintao, ascended in this manner, according to the Washington Post.
But that precedent, too, was broken when no officials young enough to serve three terms made the Politburo Standing Committee in 2017. Analysts tracking Chinese politics warn against expecting an anointed successor this year either, arguing that Xi’s extended rule could bypass entirely the generation that will dominate the 370-odd full and alternate members of the Central Committee (the body below the Politburo) over the next 10 years. “It’s in everyone’s interests not to mention the issue of succession,” said Zhang.
“Even if politicians born in the 1960s make it to the Politburo Standing Committee, they will merely be Xi’s technocrats.” It’s more likely that the eventual successor will be from the 1970s generation, but that crop of leaders is currently too young and inexperienced for a clear favorite to be selected at this juncture, Zhang said.
Even if none of them will head the party, officials born in the late 1950s and 1960s are the ones who will implement, interpret and, perhaps occasionally, challenge Xi’s policy agenda as he forges ahead with ambitious plans to tackle inequality and social ills while simultaneously securing the country’s position as a military, economic and technology power, The Washington Post reported.
