China suggests Xi's political ideology to
be elevated in party constitution
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[October 19, 2017]
BEIJING (Reuters) - Top Chinese
officials have praised President Xi Jinping's political ideology
unveiled at a key Communist Party Congress, an indication that he could
cement his power with his new slogan being incorporated into the party's
constitution.
Xi opened the party's twice-a-decade congress on Wednesday with a speech
pledging to build a "modern socialist country" for a "new era", and laid
out a vision for a more prosperous China.
Whether Xi has his name crowned in the constitution during the congress
will be a key measure of his status, its inclusion signaling his
elevation to the level of previous leaders exemplified by Mao Zedong
Thought and Deng Xiaoping Theory.
Zhang Dejiang, Yu Zhengsheng, and Liu Yunshan, all party officials on
the elite 7-man Politburo Standing Committee, the apex of political
power in China that is headed by Xi, praised "Xi Jinping Thought on
Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era", according to the
official Xinhua news agency.
"The Thought is the biggest highlight of the 19th National Congress of
the Communist Party of China and a historic contribution to the party's
development," Xinhua cited Zhang as saying in a congress panel on
Wednesday.
In separate panels, Yu called it an important piece of the "system of
theories" of Chinese socialism, and Liu said the "elevation of the
Thought into the party's guiding principle" was of great significance,
according to Xinhua.
Xi's immediate predecessors, Hu Jintao and Jiang Zemin, have had their
ideological concepts enshrined in the constitution, but not their names.
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Chinese President Xi Jinping speaks during the opening of the 19th
National Congress of the Communist Party of China at the Great Hall
of the People in Beijing, China October 18, 2017. REUTERS/Jason Lee
Zhang, Yu, and Liu are all set to step down during the week-long
congress, where the party will be given a new slate of top officials
under Xi.
Already widely regarded as the strongest Chinese leader since Mao,
the 64-year-old Xi has consolidated power swiftly since assuming the
party leadership in 2012, locking up rivals for corruption,
restructuring the military and asserting China's rising might.
The Central Committee, the largest of the party's elite ruling
bodies, passed a proposal earlier in October to amend the
constitution, although it didn't specify what would be included.
The party gave Xi the title of "core" leader a year ago, a
significant strengthening of his position ahead of the congress.
Xi set bold long-term goals for China's development in his opening
speech, envisioning it as a "basically" modernized socialist country
by 2035, and a modern socialist "strong power" with leading
influence on the world stage by 2050.
(Reporting by Michael Martina; Editing by Paul Tait)
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