Xi's Third Term

Chinese President Xi Jinping secured a third term as the Communist Party's general secretary, the party's top job, as the weeklong 20th Party Congress came to a close yesterday. Xi is expected to receive a third term as president in March as well (see power breakdown).

The widely expected extension of Xi's tenure breaks from a trend in recent decades where party leaders have stepped down from the role after two terms (see party background). In 2018, the country's legislature—made up mostly of Communist Party members—removed presidential term limits shortly after adding Xi's political doctrines to its constitution. With at least five more years of leadership, Xi will become the longest-serving leader in modern Chinese history since Mao Zedong.

The formal proceedings were interrupted by the unexplained removal of Xi's predecessor Hu Jintao, provoking international speculation. See the video here.