China: The challenges facing Xi Jinping in his third term

THE Xi Jinping got out reinforced by the Communist Party congress her Chinaafter being re-elected as head of it and consequently of the country for a third consecutive term.

He has to face the next five years several challengesthe main ones of which concern the economythe Taiwanhim coronavirus and Human Rights. The Athenian-Macedonian News Agency analyzes the “fronts” that Xi Jinping will have to face

Economy

After decades of rapid economic growth, China is facing a slowdown in its economy.

The country’s economic situation has been worsened by the “zero covid” policy promoted by Xi, due to which often lockdowns as a result of which economic activity is affected.

In addition, the Chinese economy is faced with sluggish consumption, a crisis in the real estate industry, and limited activity in the technology and remedial education sectors.

“Xi Jinping did not create these economic problems,” said Marie-Françoise Renard, a professor at Clermont-Auvergne University and an expert on the Chinese economy. “On the contrary, his way of acting made it worse because it caused uncertainty,” he added.

Xi’s decision to appoint only his close allies to the key governing body, the Communist Party Standing Committee, has raised concerns that he will favor ideology over development.

“We put people and their lives above all else,” Xi stressed during the conference, hinting that the policy will not be revised anytime soon.

“No relaxation is expected before 2024”, estimated today the analyst Julian Evans-Pritchard of Capital Economics.

Human Rights

Ten years after Xi first became China’s president, civil society has all but disappeared, the opposition has been silenced and scores of activists have been jailed.

In Xinjiang province, Beijing is accused of internment of at least one million people, mostly members of the Muslim Uyghur minority. Western investigations speak of “forced labor” and “genocide” in Xinjiang due to “forced” sterilizations and abortions.

China rejects these accusations, despite the UN report calling them “credible”.

The condition of of human rights it is not likely to improve during Xi’s third term.

On the contrary, it is very likely that he will “intensify his attacks” on these rights, not only inside China but also “globally”, estimated Sophie Richardson, Human Rights Watch’s China director.