Xi Jinping, the President of China, made his first public appearance since returning from the SCO summit on September 16. His absence from the spotlight in the lead up to the important Congress of the ruling party that will take place the following month sparked rumours about his whereabouts. On Tuesday, Xi Jinping visited an exhibition of the Communist Party. This was his first time back in the public eye since his return.
According to Xinhua, China’s state-run news agency, President Xi Jinping went on a tour of an exhibition on Tuesday that highlighted the Communist Party of China and China’s many accomplishments over the previous ten years.
According to the article, when he was speaking at the show, he urged attendees to work together in order to “push forward determinedly toward a new triumph of socialism with Chinese characteristics.”
The official guidelines for those returning from abroad in accordance with the Dynamic Zero Covid policy, which was strongly advocated by Xi himself, state that individuals returning from abroad are required to undergo a seven-day mandatory quarantine in a designated place followed by a three-day home stay. According to observers, this may have been the reason why Xi was not seen in public.
His absence has created rumours of tensions within the CPC, which is about to host its once-every-five-year Congress on October 16. It is largely assumed that 69-year-old Xi would gain support for a record third term at the Congress. His absence has sparked rumours of difficulties within the CPC.
To put an end to rumours and speculation about conflicts within the CPC over Xi’s continuance, the party made the announcement on Sunday that all of the delegates for the Congress, who totaled over 2,300 people, were “chosen” in accordance with the rules that Xi had established.
According to a statement released by the CPC, a total of 2,296 delegates have been “chosen” to participate in the forthcoming 20th National Congress of the CPC, which is scheduled to take place on October 16.
It was said that the delegates were selected using methods required by the CPC Central Committee, in accordance with the Party’s Constitution, and under the direction of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. In addition, the election was carried out in accordance with the Party’s Constitution.
The Congress, in which it is anticipated that Xi will be backed for an unprecedented third term, is being conducted in the midst of a large purge of senior security personnel, who are believed to be part of a political clique that is antagonistic to the President of China.
This week, three security officers were condemned to death for corruption, but they were given a two-year respite from their sentences. This has raised concerns regarding the unexpected rise in penalties that have been handed out in the lead up to the Congress.
The Intermediate People’s Court of Changchun in northeast China’s Jilin Province sentenced Sun Lijun, a former vice minister of public security who was accused of heading a political clique opposed to Xi, to death on Friday with a two-year reprieve for taking bribes, manipulating the stock market, and illegally possessing firearms. The court is located in the city of Changchun.
The same court had sentenced Fu Zhenghua, a former Justice Minister and one of China’s most senior police commanders, to death with a two-year reprieve the day before for abusing his office and engaging in corruption to the tune of USD 17.3 million.
A similar punishment was handed out to a former official of Jiangsu’s government a few hours later by the same court. According to the official media in this region, he was also found guilty of accepting bribes, conspiring with criminal groups, and falsifying identification documents, and he was condemned to death with a two-year reprieve.
Since Xi came to power in 2012, he has led an anti-corruption drive known as “shock and awe,” which has resulted in the punishment of over one million government employees and hundreds of high-ranking military personnel.
Once every five years, the CPC will have its Congress. However, the next Congress is being hailed as a historic event due to the fact that it will mark the year in which the century-old party will elect new leaders.
Xi, who is now in charge of the Communist Party, the military, and the presidency, will soon reach the end of his 10-year term.
