What to expect from Xi's next five years in power - CNA

ZERO COVID

Xi will also need to decide the future of China's strict zero-COVID policy - and whether the country is now ready to open up to the outside world after two years of closed borders and strict quarantines.

The policy is dragging on the economy, with officials this week blaming the epidemic for rising unemployment.

"Consumption is unlikely to recover to pre-COVID level with the current scale of COVID control," said Dan Wang, chief economist at Hang Seng Bank China.

And with pandemic rules in China's semi-autonomous territory of Hong Kong slowly being relaxed in a bid to attract more international capital, Xi could decide the economic costs outweigh the benefits of keeping controls tight.

But the Chinese leader's speech to the party faithful last week gave no sign that the rigid policy - which has forced millions into lockdowns over just handfuls of cases as the rest of the world learns to live with the virus - would relent anytime soon.

And with the success of the zero-COVID policy so entwined with Xi's legitimacy, it appears unlikely that a relaxation will take place anytime soon - no matter the cost to the economy.

HUMAN RIGHTS

China under Xi has seen the almost-total eradication of civil society, with scores of activists having fled the country and opposition to the government all but snuffed out.

And in the far-western region of Xinjiang, rights groups say more than a million Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities are detained in what the United States and lawmakers in Western countries have said amounts to genocide.

The situation looks unlikely to improve over the next five years as Xi's power grows increasingly impossible to challenge and the leadership digs in its heels against international pressure.

Xi's next term will likely see him "continue his profound assault on human rights across the country and around the globe", Sophie Richardson at Human Rights Watch wrote.

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2022-10-24 08:51:00Z
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Sunak favourite to be Britain's PM after Johnson drops comeback bid - The Straits Times

LONDON - Rishi Sunak looked set to become Britain’s next prime minister after Mr Boris Johnson withdrew from the contest on Sunday, saying that although he had enough support to make the final ballot, he realised the country and the Conservative Party needed unity.

Mr Johnson had raced home from a holiday in the Caribbean to try and secure the backing of 100 lawmakers to enter Monday’s contest to replace Ms Liz Truss, the woman who succeeded him in September after he was forced to quit over a string of scandals.

He said he had secured the backing of 102 lawmakers and could have been “back in Downing Street”, but that he had failed to persuade either Mr Sunak, or the other contender Penny Mordaunt, to come together “in the national interest”.

“I believe I have much to offer but I am afraid that this is simply not the right time,” Mr Johnson said late on Sunday.

The former prime minister had secured the public backing of just under 60 Conservative lawmakers by Sunday, well under half of the nearly 150 endorsements Mr Sunak had received.

Sterling rose more than half a cent against the dollar in early trading in Asia.

Mr Johnson’s statement likely paves the way for his arch rival, the 42-year-old former finance minister Sunak, to become prime minister, possibly as soon as Monday. If confirmed, he would replace Ms Truss, who was forced to resign after she launched an economic programme that triggered turmoil on financial markets.

According to the rules, if only one candidate secures the backing of 100 Conservative lawmakers, they will be named prime minister on Monday.

If two candidates pass the threshold, they will go forward to a vote of the party membership, with the winner announced on Friday, just days before new Finance Minister Jeremy Hunt lays bare the state of the country’s finances in a budget plan due to be released on Oct 31.

That had raised concerns that Mr Johnson would return to Downing Street with the backing of the party members, and not a majority of lawmakers in Parliament, leaving the party badly divided. Mr Hunt declared his backing for Mr Sunak late on Sunday.

Some Johnson supporters could switch to Ms Mordaunt, who has presented herself as the unity candidate, but many immediately switched to Mr Sunak. A source close to the Mordaunt campaign said the former defence minister would continue in the contest.

“She is the unifying candidate who is most likely to keep the wings of the Conservative Party together,” the source said.

Mr Johnson has loomed large over British politics ever since he became mayor of London in 2008 and went on to become the face of the Brexit vote in 2016. While he led the Conservative Party to a landslide election in 2019, he was forced out just three years later by a rebellion of his ministers.

Mr Sunak said he hoped Mr Johnson would continue to contribute to public life “at home and abroad”.

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2022-10-23 20:49:02Z
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Rishi Sunak's bid to be Britain's next PM gains momentum - The Straits Times

Mr Sunak was defeated by Ms Truss in the race to replace Mr Boris Johnson in September after losing an election held by members of the Conservative party across the country. Mr Sunak quit Mr Johnson’s government in July, helping trigger a rebellion that bought him down.

Even before declaring on Sunday, Mr Sunak had received more support from Conservative lawmakers than his rivals - former defence minister Penny Mordaunt and Mr Johnson, who is attempting a comeback.

“There will be integrity, professionalism and accountability at every level of the government I lead and I will work day in and day out to get the job done,” he said in a statement.

“I am asking you for the opportunity to help fix our problems.”

Mr Sunak failed in the summer leadership contest to convince the grassroots he was a better option than Ms Truss. But having correctly predicted her economic agenda would spark economic turmoil, he may hope for more success second time around.

However, Mr Johnson remains a favourite of the party faithful and some members see his former finance minister as a back-stabber, making any such ballot highly fraught for Mr Sunak.

Fabulously rich from his pre-politics career in finance, he has been mocked as out of touch with Britons struggling with decades-high inflation.

On the summer campaign trail, he wore expensive Prada loafers on a visit to a building site and faced accusations of “mansplaining” to Ms Truss.

Video footage also emerged of a 21-year-old Sunak describing his mix of friends following his education at Winchester College, one of Britain’s most exclusive private schools, and the University of Oxford.

“I have friends who are aristocrats, I have friends who are upper class, I have friends who are, you know, working class,” he said, before adding: “Well, not working class.”

Dishy Rishi

A details-oriented policy wonk with a background in economics, Mr Sunak, 42, is set to market himself as a stable choice at a time of crisis.

An early backer of Brexit, he took over as chancellor of the exchequer in February 2020 – a baptism of fire for the Tory rising star as the Covid-19 pandemic erupted.

He was forced to craft an enormous economic support package at breakneck speed, which he now insists must be paid off with sound fiscal plans.

In India, Mr Sunak has been better known through his wife, Ms Akshata Murty. She is the daughter of Indian tycoon Narayana Murthy, the billionaire co-founder of information technology group Infosys.

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2022-10-23 14:29:52Z
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Rishi Sunak confirms he is standing to become UK's next prime minister - CNA

LONDON: Britain's former finance minister Rishi Sunak confirmed on Sunday (Oct 23) he was standing to replace Liz Truss as prime minister.

"The United Kingdom is a great country but we face a profound economic crisis," he said on Twitter.

"That's why I am standing to be leader of the Conservative Party and your next prime minister."

Sunak was defeated by Truss in the race to replace Boris Johnson in September after losing an election held by members of the Conservative party across the country.

Even before declaring on Sunday, Sunak had received more support from Conservative lawmakers than his rivals - former defence minister Penny Mordaunt and Johnson, who is attempting a comeback.

Sunak quit Johnson's government in July, helping trigger a rebellion that bought him down.

"There will be integrity, professionalism and accountability at every level of the government I lead and I will work day in and day out to get the job done," he said in a statement.

"I am asking you for the opportunity to help fix our problems."

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2022-10-23 10:30:00Z
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China's next premier Li Qiang: Xi Jinping loyalist who oversaw Shanghai COVID-19 lockdown - CNA

BEIJING: Li Qiang, who oversaw Shanghai's grinding two-month COVID-19 lockdown this year as party boss of China's commercial hub, is on track to become China's next premier after President Xi Jinping unveiled a new governing body packed with loyalists.

Li, a close ally of the newly re-appointed Chinese leader, was elevated to the number two position on the seven-man Standing Committee on Sunday (Oct 23), putting him on track to take over the economic management role. Current Premier Li Keqiang, a more reform-minded voice, will step down in March after the maximum two terms.

"Honestly, I did not have him on my list," said Joerg Wuttke, president of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China, who had expected the reform-minded Hu Chunhua or Wang Yang to be tapped as the next premier.

Both were left out of the new 24-member Politburo.

"Well, it seems to be that they feel confident doing it their way and it remains to be seen if it works out," he said.

Li became a target for some of the social media ire that made it past censors during a lockdown that caused major disruptions to Shanghai's economy and drew anger from many of its 25 million residents.

Li would also be the first premier since 1976 not to be promoted from vice-premier, said Neil Thomas, a senior analyst for China and Northeast Asia at the Eurasia Group, on Twitter.

"Tradition is that somebody who becomes premier must be vice-premier before - this is totally against party convention," said Willy Lam, a senior fellow at the Jamestown Foundation, a US think tank, who described Li's performance in Shanghai as mediocre.

"We have not seen Li Qiang introduce any market-oriented reforms," said Lam.

A Chinese fund manager who declined to be named said the general market feeling towards the new leadership lineup is negative.

"Hardly anyone in the line-up has profound understanding of the economy," he said. "Li is already seen as being better than the rest."

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2022-10-23 09:57:00Z
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From Xi's historic third term to leadership reshuffle: Key highlights from China's Communist Party congress - CNA

Chinese President Xi Jinping secured a historic third term as China's leader on Sunday (Oct 23), shortly after the first meeting of the new Central Committee, which was elected on Saturday.

Xi walked at the head of the group at the presentation event for the Communist Party's seven-member Standing Committee, a position reserved for the party's general secretary.

The anointment of Xi came after a week-long congress which saw a sweeping reshuffle of the Central Committee, where a number of top officials - including Premier Li Keqiang - stepped down, as well as the endorsement of Xi's "core position" among the country's leadership.

CNA looks at the key highlights:

A HISTORIC THIRD TERM

Xi's reappointment as general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party for another five-year term effectively cements his position as the nation's most powerful leader since Mao Zedong, as it tilts the country decisively back towards one-man rule after decades of power-sharing among its elite.

Former leader Deng Xiaoping had written the presidential two-term limit into the constitution in 1982 to institutionalise succession but Xi abolished that limit in 2018.

The 69-year-old is now all but certain to sail through to a third term as China's president, due to be formally announced during the government's annual legislative sessions in March.

Since becoming the country's leader a decade ago, Xi has achieved a concentration of power like no modern Chinese ruler other than Mao.

He proposed the Belt and Road Initiative, pushed for China's rapid expansion in the South China Sea and hosted the 2022 Winter Olympics.

Xi also oversaw China's rise as the world's second-biggest economy, a huge military expansion and a far more aggressive global posture that has drawn strong opposition from the United States.

LEADERSHIP SHUFFLE

The Politburo Standing Committee of seven people, which included re-elected general secretary Xi, was revealed on Sunday.

The Standing Committee, which saw four new faces, represents the apex of political power in China.

The committee members were elected by the newly-minted Central Committee of around 200 senior party officials.

Former Shanghai party chief Li Qiang, a confidante of Xi's, was promoted to number two in the party hierarchy, making him likely to be named premier at the government's annual legislative sessions next March.

It would be an unusual appointment since Li, unlike most past premiers, does not have experience as a vice premier managing central government portfolios.

The 63-year-old rising star's prospects were seemingly in doubt after he bungled a harsh two-month lockdown of Shanghai earlier this year that saw residents left with a lack of access to food and medical care.

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2022-10-23 07:44:00Z
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Who's on the Chinese Communist Party's new Politburo Standing Committee? - CNA

This "showcases to everyone that loyalty rather than popularity is the key for your promotion", tweeted Yang Zhang, an assistant professor at American University in Washington.

"The disaster of Shanghai Lockdown did not stop Li's elevation precisely because he followed Xi's order despite all criticism."

Li is viewed as one of Xi's favourites, having served as the leader's chief of staff while he was party boss of the affluent Zhejiang province between 2004 and 2007.

ZHAO LEJI

The 65-year-old former head of the party's top anti-corruption watchdog has remained on the Standing Committee, being promoted to No 3 in the party hierarchy.

The experienced administrator has been party secretary of two provinces and a Politburo member since 2012.

WANG HUNING

Xi's ideology tsar and existing Standing Committee member has been promoted to No 4 in the party lineup.

Dubbed the "brains behind the throne", the 67-year-old former university professor has devised ideologies for three current and former Chinese presidents, and is the architect of Xi's "China Dream" slogan, as well as the country's more assertive foreign policy.

In one of his most famous works, "America Against America", he argued for the US' inevitable downfall due to wayward cultural values like decadence and individualism.

CAI QI

Current Beijing party chief Cai Qi has been promoted to the Standing Committee and becomes the head of the General Secretariat, managing the day-to-day affairs of the party, according to a member list released by Xinhua.

The 66-year-old is seen as a close political ally of Xi due to his time working under him in the provinces of Zhejiang and Fujian.

He was sent to Beijing as deputy head of the General Office of the National Security Commission in 2014, before becoming Beijing party boss in 2017. He oversaw the successful Beijing Winter Olympics in February.

DING XUEXIANG

The low-key Politburo member and top aide of Xi has been promoted to the Standing Committee - an appointment widely expected by analysts for a member of the leader's inner circle.

The 60-year-old regularly accompanies Xi on official engagements, becoming a familiar face hovering in the background of state media reports, never far from his boss.

The former head of the Communist Party's General Office has never served as a provincial-level party boss or governor, making his appointment effectively a reward for his loyalty to Xi.

The pair became close while Ding served in the Shanghai party committee - Xi was Shanghai's top party boss in 2007 to 2008 - and he moved to Beijing to work as Xi's personal secretary in 2013.

"If Xi's two secretaries lead the (government) State Council ... it will no longer be parallel with the Party, but simply one (of) many institutions under the leadership of the Party, and of Xi," tweeted Zhang.

LI XI

The current Politburo member and party chief of economic powerhouse Guangdong province has been promoted to the Standing Committee, in an appointment widely anticipated by observers.

Li, 66, was confirmed as head of the powerful Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, the party's powerful anti-graft watchdog, in a list released by Xinhua.

Li is regarded as a confidant of Xi, having known him since the 1980s after working as secretary for a close ally of Xi's father, revolutionary leader Xi Zhongxun. He also built up a power base in Shaanxi, Xi's ancestral province.

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2022-10-23 05:40:00Z
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