China’s new helmsman

The speculation has been mounting ever since Xi Jinping vanquished all rivals and pointedly did not nominate a successor at the Communist Party Congress last October. Still, the announcement the party would change China’s constitution and abolish the two-term cap for the presidency caught observers by surprise. The amendment potentially clears the way for Xi to be China’s Great Helmsman indefinitely and leaves the world facing a hardline ruler who’s made it plain he intends China to be the preeminent global power. As China’s hawkish Global Times said in a commentary defending the move, “China cannot stop and take a break. The country must seize the day, seize the hour.” Sceptics have noted that the two-term ceiling was introduced in 1982 by visionary leader Deng Xiaoping to prevent a repeat of the social and institutional destruction by Mao Zedong that culminated in the Cultural Revolution. They’re also pointing to Lord Acton’s dictum that “absolute power corrupts absolutely,” something that could undercut China’s stability. There’s been some back-pedalling to mollify critics with the People’s Daily , the Communist Party’s top newspaper, declaring on Thursday that the amendment “does not mean a life-long term system.”

Deng also declared China should play it “softly, softly” on the global stage, or as he put it, “Hide your strength, bide your time.” Xi has swept that into the turbulent seas around his country and made it clear China will call the shots as the 21st century progresses. The Global Times minces no words when it says: “Though China has stunning economic might, it has not yet become a leading power in terms of ideology and information. The most influential value system in the world is now the Western value system… But some key parts of the Western value system are collapsing... Democracy… is ulcerating.” Similarly, a few days ago, the People’s Daily devoted its front page to a no-holds-barred attack on Western democracy.

Could Xi be miscalculating in whipping off the velvet glove? His South China Sea moves combined with the Doklam crisis resulted in the re-launch by India, the US, Japan and Australia of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue or “Quad” and now they’re reportedly mulling a regional infrastructure scheme to counter China’s multibillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative. China under Xi has also been aggressively challenging India’s role as the pre-eminent power in the Indian ocean region. It’s growing ties with Pakistan — Mandarin has now been made an official language in Pakistan — is also a cause for concern. India needs to step cautiously around the new, empowered Chinese President. But it would be also be a cardinal error to retreat into defensive aggression.

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