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Xi Jinping emerged from the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China for a first-of-its-kind third leadership term, with the Politburo Standing Committee composed entirely of loyalists, cementing his position as China’s most powerful ruler since Mao Zedong.
During Xi Jinping’s decade in power, China has undergone profound changes both domestically and globally.
Here are some of the changes that have taken place in China under Xi Jinping.
1. Western and U.S. allies’ perception of China has deteriorated
Relations between the U.S. and China have deteriorated sharply in recent years, accelerating under former U.S. President Donald Trump’s hard-line turn toward Beijing.But Western perceptions are also shaped by human rights concerns and China’s Taiwan.
2. Xi Jinping’s anti-corruption campaign
When Mr. Xi took office, he launched a signature campaign to root out corruption within the Communist Party that has proved popular with the public and, many analysts say, is a useful tool for eliminating political opponents.
3. Tame the once unruly frontier
Places like Tibet, Xinjiang and Hong Kong are all far from Beijing and have long been a headache for China’s ruling Communist Party. Xi Jinping has launched an unprecedented and comprehensive security crackdown, taking control of the border area. In Xinjiang, this includes the detention of about 1 million ethnic Muslim Uighurs in concentration camps; in Hong Kong, Beijing responded to major anti-government protests in 2019 with sweeping national security laws.
4. Warming up to Taiwan
All Chinese leaders since Mao Zedong have stressed the importance of “unifying” China with the self-governing island of Taiwan. But tensions across the Taiwan Strait have risen sharply under Mr. Xi, with the People’s Liberation Army increasing its activities in Taiwan in recent years, from military exercises to intrusions into Taiwan’s Air Defense Identification Zone. U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taipei in August sparked a military exercise on an unprecedented scale in China.
5. The state increasingly plays a leading role in the economy
Xi has tightened state control and guidance over the economy, including a broad crackdown on the most liberal of the private sector, especially online platforms and for-profit education.The crackdown on these sectors, and the ongoing impact Coronavirus disease Restrictions have pushed up urban unemployment and depressed consumer confidence.
6. Growth slows, revenue rises
The era of annual double-digit growth ended before Xi Jinping took office, and growth rates have been falling, inevitable as the economy expands. Under Xi Jinping, incomes have risen steadily. A growing number of analysts are warning that China’s investment-focused, infrastructure-driven model is increasingly unsustainable, with further slowdowns ahead.
7. Suppress dissent and expand censorship
Xi Jinping has suppressed criticism and protests at home, removing room for dissent, and censorship within China’s “Great Firewall” has steadily increased.
8. The world’s largest military is growing and modernizing
The People’s Liberation Army, led by Xi Jinping, has been closing the gap with the United States, including on the high seas, with major implications for tensions around Taiwan, as some U.S. officials warn that China is building up its ability to seize the island on a shortened timetable.
9. China leads in green technology and pollution
Despite its efforts to wean itself off coal, China has become a global leader in electric vehicle manufacturing and has won praise for its commitment to becoming carbon neutral by 2060. Most notably, China’s air quality has steadily improved over the past decade.
10. End extreme poverty, while inequality persists
Xi Jinping has described China’s eradication of extreme poverty as one of the Communist Party’s major achievements over the past decade. Inequality, however, has proven to be a tougher challenge – especially the urban-rural income gap – which Xi is trying to address through his “shared prosperity” policy.
China’s official Gini coefficient data shows that, despite a slight decline in recent years, it still has one of the highest levels of income inequality among large economies, along with the United States.
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