China's Xi Secures Third Term as Communist Party Leader, Paves Way for Lifetime Rule

Chinese President Xi Jinping was selected by the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to maintain his position as the party’s leader for a third term. The CCP’s decision is a culminating step in Xi’s political power.

The official Chinese state news agency, Xinhua, announced Xi’s third term as the party’s general secretary after a Sunday vote during the CCP’s twice-in-a-decade meeting. The vote at the CCP’s 20th Central Committee meeting was attended by 203 party members.

China had a two-term limit for its presidency, but Xi helped scrap that limit in 2018. With that limit gone, Xi could potentially rule indefinitely.

The Wall Street Journal reported that with this third term as party leader, Xi has power not seen by a Chinese political leader since Mao Zedong, the founder of the modern Chinese communist state.