China seeks to repeal president’s term limit, opening way for Xi

China seeks to repeal president’s term limit, opening way for Xi

The constitutional provision barring the president from serving more than 10 years is the only formal barrier keeping Xi Jinping from ruling after 2023.

china
BEIJING: China’s Communist Party proposed removing from the constitution language limiting the president to two terms, the clearest sign yet that Xi Jinping intends to extend his tenure as state leader.

The party’s decision-making Central Committee wants to strike language from the document that says the country’s head of state “shall serve no more than two consecutive terms,” the official Xinhua News Agency said Sunday.

The announcement came a day before the committee plans to meet in Beijing to consider key personnel appointments and government-restructuring moves.

The constitutional provision barring the president from serving more than 10 years is the only formal barrier keeping Xi, who also serves as party leader and commander-in-chief of the military, from ruling after 2023.

Speculation that Xi, who came to power in 2012, would seek to rule for longer has intensified since he declined to line up a clear successor at a twice-a-decade party reshuffle in October.

Stay current - Follow FMT on WhatsApp, Google news and Telegram

Subscribe to our newsletter and get news delivered to your mailbox.