Top China Communist Officials Rush To Prove Loyalty To Xi Jinping Ahead Of Crucial Event

In the final run-up to 20th Party Congress, Senior Communist Party officials in China are lavishing praise on President Xi Jinping, using words such as “beacon,” “compass,” and “fulcrum” to refer to his status.

The acclaim comes months ahead of the important political event in China, where Xi is likely to secure an unprecedented third term as the party’s chief.

What Happened: Communist Party’s Henan province boss Lou Yangsheng said that the Chinese President’s political theory should be taken as a “lifelong lesson” by local officials. He also called for an “item-by-item” and effective implementation of Xi’s instructions, SCMP reported.

In an article published in Study Times, a publication from the Central Party School, the Henan province boss also called for “remembering the lingxiu’s instructions.”

‘Lingxiu’ is a reverential term for “leader,” which was commonly used more than three decades ago.

The report pointed out that more than nine provincial party chiefs, including Lou, have written articles in party publications pledging their loyalty to Xi in the past two months.

According to SCMP, the party chooses its top leaders from the talent pool of regional chiefs. Many who recently hailed Xi are considered frontrunners to join the party’s decision-making body, the 25-strong Politburo.

Such praise doesn’t always guarantee a promotion.

Liu Shiyu, the China Securities Regulatory Commission chairman, once praised Xi, saying he “saved the party, saved the military, and saved the country.” He would later be the subject of a corruption probe in 2019 and got demoted.

The date for the 20th Party Congress is yet to be announced. The event would be crucial for Xi and China as it comes amid a looming economic growth crisis and a high unemployment rate affected by Communist Party’s zero-Covid policy.

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