The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) will hold its 20th National Congress on October 16, where President Xi Jinping will seek an unprecedented third five-year term.
He will accomplish this by amending the constitution to eliminate presidential term limits. According to reports, Xi will try to resurrect the Mao-era title of “chairman” for himself, usurping supremacy in the party hierarchy for the rest of his life.
The move comes amid reports of a Mao-style personality cult developing around China’s leader, with institutions and political figures declaring complete allegiance to Xi, a devoted student of Mao Zedong, and his personal brand of political ideology.
The amendment could elevate Xi’s personal brand of ideology to “Xi Jinping Thought”
Mao Zedong, the founding father of modern China, held the title until his death in 1976. It was abolished in 1982, and the general secretary took its place.
The party chairman was given broad powers under the constitution at the time, including command of the country’s armed forces.
According to Reuters, several experts believe the amendment could elevate Xi’s personal brand of ideology to “Xi Jinping Thought,” bringing it closer to the status of “Mao Zedong Thought” in popular consciousness.
Other potential changes include the establishment of Xi as the party’s “core” and his ideas as its guiding principles, as well as the reinstatement of the post of party chairman, which was abolished in 1982, according to the report.
The CCP has nearly 100 million members
Since the 1990s, changes to the party constitution have primarily focused on adding the new leadership’s political philosophies to an ever-expanding list of the party’s charting political doctrines, emphasizing their historical status.
Since its inception in 1921, the CCP has amended its constitution at each party congress to reflect changes in the party’s direction.
The CCP has nearly 100 million members, but very little is known about how its top leadership operates.