- New Central Committee elected
- Xi's thinking to be implemented to strengthen military
- Belt and Road included
The congress also agreed to include statements in the party charter that the CPC will uphold its absolute leadership over the People's Liberation Army.
BEIJING, Oct 24: A year after elevating Chinese President Xi Jinping to the all-powerful position of the 'core' leader of the party, the Communist Party of China at its 19th National Congress on Tuesday unanimously amended its constitution to incorporate Xi's political ideology by his name, further bolstering his power.
As many as 2,287 delegates gathered at the Great Hall of People in Beijing on the last day of the five-yearly party congress unanimously endorsed an amendment to enshrine 'Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era' in the party constitution as part of the Party's guide to action.
The resolution passed by the 19th party congress on Tuesday stated that Xi Thought is an important component of the theory of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and a guide to action for 'all our members and all the Chinese people as we strive to achieve national rejuvenation.' Xi, who is also the general secretary of the party, had presided over the closing session of the congress.
The document further stated that Xi Thought must be adhered to and steadily developed on a long-term basis. “The Party Constitution is revised accordingly to provide important guidance for us to better understand the new historic juncture in China's development and its particular features in the current stage and to further advance the cause of the Party and the country,” further reads the resolution in the description of Xi's incorporated political ideology.
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There has been a tradition in the CPC to include political ideological contribution of the party general secretaries in the party as a guide to action. However, only two leaders have succeeded to include their names for their ideological contributions in the party's constitution -- Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping as Mao Zedong Thoughts and Deng Xiaoping Theory -- so far. Even Deng's theory was inscribed in the constitution only after his death.
Otherwise, former general secretaries of the CPC Jiang Zemin and Hu Jintao's ideological contributions have been included in the constitution but only known as Three Represents and the Scientific Outlook on Development respectively. So, observers have said that Tuesday's amendment has put Xi on par with Mao and Deng.
The inclusion of Xi's thoughts by his name in the party constitution ahead of his second term as both the party secretary and China's president is historic and shows that the party has sought strong leadership to carry out comprehensive reform to deal with uncertainty in the world, strengthen the party, which is lately marred by corruption, and also achieve China's two centenary goals, said Wang Yewei, professor of the School of International Studies of Renmin University.
While delivering his remarks at the closing session of the party where former general secretaries Hu and Jiang were also present, Xi stressed that the amendments to the party constitution will help promote full and strict governance over the party and advance the great new project of party-building; and to strive for the great success of socialism with Chinese characteristics for a new era and realize the Chinese Dream of national rejuvenation.
Xi seeks to develop China into moderately prosperous society by 2021, which marks a century of the establishment of the CPC, and modern socialist country by 2049, which will mark a century of the establishment of the People's Republic of China. These centenary goals have also been enshrined in the party constitution by Tuesday's congress.
Similarly, the congress also agreed to include statements in the party charter that the CPC will uphold its absolute leadership over the People's Liberation Army; implement Xi thinking on strengthening the military and enhance political loyalty of the military.
Also, the CPC congress amended the party constitution to include statement that the party will pursue Belt and Road Initiative and will work toward a new form of international relations featuring mutual respect, fairness, justice and win-win cooperation and a community with a shared future for mankind. The BRI is also an ambitious project proposed by Xi in 2013 and aims to develop infrastructures and trade with Asia, Africa and Europe.
New Central Committee elected; Xi's tenure to be extended Wednesday
Similarly, the congress also elected 204 members of the new central committee of the party and a new central commission for discipline inspection, the anti-graft body of the party, said Xi while delivering his remarks after the congress completed all the items on its agenda.
Sixty-four-year-old Xi has been elected to the 19th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC).
On Wednesday, the newly-elected CPC Central Committee will elect the members of the Politburo, the Standing Committee of the Politburo, and the general secretary at its first plenary session.
Xi's tenure as the general secretary will be extended Wednesday for the second time while five new members will be elected to the standing committee. Due to age limit, five members of the standing committee--Zhang Gaoli, Yu Zhengsheng, Liu Yunshan, Zhang Dejiang and Wang Qishan--have stepped down. Their names are not on the list of the new 19th Central Committee members as all of them were over 68. Only President Xi and Premier Li Keqiang remain on the standing committee now. They are 64 and 62 respectively.
Likewise, chief of the new Central Commission of Discipline Inspection will also be elected Wednesday.
Similarly, other top leaders of the CPC including Wang Huning, Liu Qibao, Xu Qiliang, Sun Chunlan, Li Keqiang, Wang Yang, Zhang Chunxian, Zhao Leji, Hu Chunhua, Li Zhanshu and Han Zheng have also been elected, according to Xinhua, the state news agency. They are the candidates for the seven-member Standing Committee of the Politburo of the new Central Committee.
