China Will Vote to Let President Xi Jinping Rule Indefinitely

The proposal, publicized by state-run media outlet Xinhua, was forwarded by the party’s Central Committee on Sunday. The 200-member body of senior members are set to hold a three-day assembly starting on Monday, Shanghaiist reported.

The proposed amendment would have to go through China’s national legislative body, the National People’s Congress, the largest parliamentary body in the world. The amendment would then have to be ratified by the NPC in March, but given Xi Jinping’s influence over the Communist Party of China, it is expected to pass without fail.

If the amendment goes into effect, Xi Jinping will serve as China’s president indefinitely since his appointment as the country’s head of state in 2013, and beyond his original end of term in 2023. Both of Xi’s predecessors, Hu Jintao and Jiang Zemin, stepped down from their position after completing their two-term presidential rule, which lasted for 10 years.

The 64-year-old head of state, who has reached “Mao Zedong Status,” is poised for a re-election at the parliament’s annual meeting this February for his second term, which can be considered a formality.

Featured image via Flickr / Foreign and Commonwealth Office (CC BY 2.0)