President Xi Jinping was today anointed as the “core” leader of China’s ruling Communist Party, conferring on him a status similar to that of party founder ‘Chairman’ Mao Zedong and allowing him to further tighten his grip on the party, military and government.
At the same time, a key meeting of the Communist Party of China (CPC) decided to carry on with the collective leadership system, introduced in 1981 to ensure that no individual dominated the party leadership. A communique issued by top CPC leaders after a four-day close-door meeting of 370 top leaders in Beijing called on all its members to closely unite around the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core.
The state-run Xinhua news agency reports that the 63-year-old Xi also heads the party as general-secretary of the CPC, and the military besides the presidency. But, contrary to the speculation that the party may dispense with the over three-decade rule stipulating collective leadership, the plenum stressed the importance of adherence to the collective leadership system of CPC.