The Twentieth National Congress of the CPC will envision two stages towards building a greater modern socialist country. Despite the crackdown, sporadic protests were witnessed in Beijing.
@prashanthamine
New Delhi: Already having secured a ‘President for life’ term in March 2018 itself, the world awaits as to what second centennial goals does President Xi Jinping set for China to be achieved by 2049. The 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) which begins at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing from October 16 is expected to envision two stages towards building a great modern socialist country in all respects and set out strategic tasks and major measures.
Sun Yeli, the spokesman for the 20th National Congress at the media briefing informed that the agenda for the Congress has been set at a preparatory meeting held on Saturday.
During the weeklong event, delegates will hear and examine a report submitted by the 19th CPC Central Committee, examine a work report of the 19th Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, and deliberate and adopt an amendment to the Party’s Constitution, he said.
The delegates will also elect the Party’s 20th Central Committee and its 20th Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, he said. The weeklong deliberations will conclude on October 22.
The 2,300 of the National Congress will elect the 20th Central Committee which will lead the work when the National Congress is not in session. The composition of the delegates comprises 33.6% members from the grassroots level, 8.4% are workers, 3.7% farmers, 11.6% are technocrats, 27% are female members and 8.9% members represent the minorities that also includes representatives from the Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR).
What most of the international observers and experts will be looking at is what strategy, goals and response does President Xi Jinping spell out at the National Congress. The international community is eagerly awaiting President Xi Jinping thoughts on ‘One China policy’ in respect to the Taiwan issue, China’s relations with the US and its neighbours that includes India as well, its stand on the Russia-Ukraine war and how it deals with sporadic incidences of dissidence and protests that have erupted in Beijing in the run-up to the 20th National Congress.
Having declared himself ‘President for life’ in 2018 itself, President Xi Jinping joins the long list of Chinese Premiers who have held the post longer than him. Chairman Mao Zedong held the post for 27 years between 1949 to 1976; Jiang Zemin held the post for 16 years between 1989 to 2005, Deng Xiaoping for 11 years between 1978 to 1989.
President Xi Jinping was only elected to the post in 2012 and his term was to end in 2022. But before he could step down from office, Xi Jinping amended the Chinese constitution on March 11, 2018 declaring him as ‘President for life’, thus elevating himself to the status of Chairman Mao and Deng Xiaoping.
But of late his regime’s Zero Covid policy, persistent lockdowns has begun to spark off sporadic incidences of protests with protestors hanging banners and posters from bridges in Beijing. The resultant crackdown has seen the authorities deploying security atop the bridges in an attempt to stop people from putting up protest banners.
Protest banners were seen on Sitong bridge in Beijing that read with slogans like – ‘Go on strike’, ‘Boycott classes’, ‘Remove Dictatorial and National Traitor Xi Jinping’, ‘Say no to Covid test’, ‘yes to food’, ‘No to lockdown’, ‘No to cultural revolution’, ‘Don’t be a slave, be a citizen’ and ‘No to great leader’.
According to former Chinese journalist Zhao Lanjian, who recently escaped to the US in July earlier this year, argues that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leaders have reached 5 common understandings about China and the CCP.
According to another prominent Chinese dissident journalist Jennifer Zeng, most of the delegates ‘selected’ to the Standing Committee of the Presidium of the 20th National Congress include mostly retired CCP seniors.
Lanjian adds that the CCP may adopt 8 possible behaviour patterns after the 20th National Congress.
The five common understandings of the CCP leaders are:
1. The relationship between China and the U.S. is already irreparable;
2. Communist ideology and universal values around the world have entered a final showdown stage;
3. The Western countries’ siege has caused a critical situation for the CCP both inside and outside China;
4. The economic downturn in China has brought about various social conflicts;
5. To prevent the collapse of the regime, it is inevitable to return to a closed-door, isolated state.
Based on the 5 common understandings, these are the 8 possible behaviour patterns of the CCP in the following years:
1. Rapid return to the original ideology of the CCP’s doctrine, gradual elimination of private enterprises, and nationalization of all enterprises to achieve full communism;
2. Elimination of all Western cultural influences;
3, Combatting the oligopoly economy, getting rid of the middle class, and pleasing the bottom class;
4. Reducing the liberalization of social life and strengthening monopolistic rule;
5. Strict control of public opinion and cleansing of the Internet to restrict freedom of expression;
6. Squeeze the space for private property and expand government financial resources;
7. Give more power to lower-level government and strengthen law enforcement at the street and township levels.
8. Control of school education to improve the effectiveness of brainwashing.
