Xi’s rule for life – for better or worse

Clear signal: A screen showing the result of a vote to repeal presidential term limits is displayed at a session at the National People’s Congress in Beijing on March 11. China’s parliament voted to repeal the term limits, allowing Xi to retain power indefinitely. — Bloomberg

LAST Sunday, China’s National People’s Congress (or Parliament), as expected, adopted a controversial plan to remove the 10-year presidential term limit from the country’s Constitution.

This cleared the way for President Xi Jinping to stay on beyond 2023, the end of his second five-year term limit, as top leader for life. It also confirmed Xi’s status as the most powerful ruler since Mao Zedong.