Xi Jinping Warns Against China Complacency

Chinese President Xi Jinping has told the National People’s Congress (NPC) that China must not become complacent about its development.

Speaking at the closing session of the annual parliament, Mr Xi said China was a critical stage in its history and only socialism could save it.

The NPC is a significant annual marker on China’s political stage.

This year, the meeting was marked by lifting the term limit of the presidency.

The change means Mr Xi can effectively remain China’s president for life.

The parliamentary session meets once a year and usually only rubberstamps changes previously decided by the leadership.

In his speech, Mr Xi laid out his grand vision for China, reconfirming his ambition to “rejuvenate” the country and continue China’s “great contributions to civilisation”.

“History has already proven and will continue to prove that only socialism can save China,” he said.

He said he saw the people as “the real heroes” of China and that he and all fellow politicians “must work hard for the people’s interests”.

Mr Xi also stressed the need for a country to be united in order to prosper and, in a reference to Taiwan, said Beijing would thwart any separatist attempts.

“The Chinese people share a common belief that it is never allowed and it is absolutely impossible to separate any inch of our great country’s territory from China.”

Self-ruling Taiwan is considered by Beijing to be a separatist Chinese province which will one day be reunited with the mainland.

This year’s NPC saw the already powerful president moving into an even stronger position.

It confirmed Xi Jinping’s second term as president and ratified the inclusion of his political philosophy – “Xi Jinping Thought” – in to the constitution.

Lawmakers ratified a law to set up a new powerful anti-corruption agency and appointed key positions including the central bank head and chief economic advisor.

The NPC followed a once-in-five-years Communist Party Congress in October, which saw an unprecedented cementing of power for President Xi, elevating him the same level as Mao Zedong.

Source: BBC