The recent consolidation of power by China’s leader ensures policy will even more closely reflect his desires and ideology
- Tony Saich is Daewoo professor of international affairs at Harvard Kennedy School
For Xi Jinping, the stakes were high at the recent plenary meeting of the Chinese Communist party, with all the stops being pulled out to make sure that things would go smoothly. The outcome seems never to have been in doubt and must have disappointed any foes who did not want Xi to be anointed leader into the distant future. Ostensibly the meeting was held to review the achievements of the past 100 years. In reality, it was about the future.
One outcome of the meeting was the publication of a resolution on past achievements, which was designed to show that Xi Jinping’s leadership today and in the future is the inevitable outcome of history. The resolution will consolidate his pre-eminence within the party, empowering him to set the course for its second 100 years. Huge resources are dedicated to crafting an official history to be accepted by all. Woe betide anyone who challenges the official narrative.
Tony Saich is Daewoo professor of international affairs at Harvard Kennedy School
