BEIJING (Reuters) - China’s ruling Communist Party will enshrine President Xi Jinping’s political thought into the country’s constitution, state media said on Friday, further solidifying his power following its addition last year to the party constitution.

FILE PHOTO: China's President Xi Jinping claps after his speech as he and other new Politburo Standing Committee members meet with the press at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China October 25, 2017. REUTERS/Jason Lee

The arguably more important party constitution was amended at the once-in-five-years 19th Party Congress in October to include Xi’s political thought.

The party unanimously passed an amendment then to add “Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era” as one of its guiding principles.

Following a two-day meeting of top officials in Beijing, the party has now proposed writing the same theory into the state constitution, state news agency Xinhua said.

The communique said Xi’s thought had generated a national “fervor” which had helped provide “great spiritual impetus” in the implementation of 19th Party Congress’s strategic policies.

The meeting also stressed that a “centralized, unified, authoritative and highly effective” national supervision system should be set up to fight corruption throughout the state bureaucracy, Xinhua said.

Chinese legal scholars have said the country needs to amend its constitution before it can set up the new supervision commission to ensure there is a proper constitutional basis for its powers.

Xinhua however did not explicitly say what might be amended when it came to the supervision commission.

Fighting deeply ingrained graft had been a key policy plank for Xi in his first term in office and that battle will take on a new hue with the setting up of the National Supervision Commission as he begins his second term.

Trial work has already begun for that commission, which is likely to be formally codified in law in March at a meeting of China’s largely rubber stamp parliament.

Because the state constitution is being amended, it needs parliament to formally approve it, probably at the March session, though it could happen before. Xinhua did not say exactly when it would happen.

Whether Xi was able to have his name “crowned” in the party constitution had been seen as a key measure of his power, elevating him to a level of previous leaders exemplified by Mao Zedong Thought and Deng Xiaoping Theory.

No other leader since Mao has had an eponymous ideology included in the document while in office. Deng’s name was added after his death in 1997.

The state constitution was last amended in 2004 to include guarantees to protect private property and human rights.

While it theoretically offers broad guarantees to things like freedom of speech, religion and association, rights groups say in practice these are ignored. It also highlights the primacy of the Communist Party in leading China.</s>BEIJING (Reuters) - China's ruling Communist Party will enshrine President Xi Jinping's political thought into the country's constitution, state media said on Friday, further solidifying his power following its addition last year to the party constitution.

The arguably more important party constitution was amended at the once-in-five-years party congress in October to include Xi's political thought.

The party unanimously passed an amendment then to add "Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era" as one of its guiding principles.

Following a two-day meeting in Beijing, the party has now proposed writing the same theory into the state constitution, state news agency Xinhua said.

Because the amendment is of the state constitution, it needs parliament to formally approve it, probably when it holds its annual session in March, though it could happen before.

Whether Xi was able to have his name "crowned" in the party constitution had been seen as a key measure of his power, elevating him to a level of previous leaders exemplified by Mao Zedong Thought and Deng Xiaoping Theory.

No other leader since Mao has had an eponymous ideology included in the document while in office. Deng's name was added after his death in 1997.

The state constitution was last amended in 2004 to include guarantees to protect private property and human rights.

While it theoretically offers broad guarantees to things like freedom of speech, religion and association, rights groups say in practice these are ignored. It also highlights the primacy of the Communist Party in leading China.</s>China to enshrine Xi’s name in state constitution

China’s Communist Party proposed today to engrave President Xi Jinping’s guiding philosophy in the country’s constitution. — Reuters picBEIJING, Jan 19 — China’s Communist Party proposed today to engrave President Xi Jinping’s guiding philosophy in the country’s constitution, further cementing his status as its most powerful leader in decades.

Xi’s eponymous “thought” was already enshrined in the Communist Party constitution at a major congress in October, elevating him to the same status as modern China’s founder Mao Zedong.

The architect of China’s economic reforms, Deng Xiaoping, is the only other leader whose name appears alongside his guiding principle in both the state and party constitutions.

The party’s Central Committee proposed at a two-day meeting that “Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era” should also be added to the state constitution, said the official Xinhua news agency.

The constitutional change must be approved by the National People’s Congress, which is expected to hold its annual plenary session in March.

The elevation of Xi, 64, into the Communist Party constitution in October had already brought him into the pantheon of the country’s most powerful leaders.

The congress also unveiled a new seven-member ruling council that did not include a clear successor to Xi, leaving the impression that he could break with recent tradition and seek a third term in office in 2022. — AFP</s>, Beijing, China, Jan 19 – China’s Communist Party proposed on Friday to engrave President Xi Jinping’s guiding philosophy in the country’s constitution, further cementing his status as its most powerful leader in decades.

Xi’s eponymous “thought” was already enshrined in the Communist Party constitution at the 19th Party Congress in October, elevating him to the same status as modern China’s founder Mao Zedong.

The architect of China’s economic reforms, Deng Xiaoping, is the only other leader whose name appears alongside his guiding principle in both the state and party constitutions.

The party’s Central Committee proposed at a two-day meeting that “Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era” should also be added to the state constitution, said the official Xinhua news agency.

The constitutional change must be approved by the National People’s Congress, which is expected to hold its annual plenary session in March.

The forthcoming amendment would need to “enshrine the major theoretical points and major principles and policies stipulated by the 19th Party Congress — especially Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era — into state law,” the body said in a statement released by Xinhua.

“The plenum believes that is a major event in the country’s political life,” it said.

A major outcome of the 19th Party Congress was the decision to establish a new anti-graft agency, the National Supervisory Commission, that will coordinate investigations at all levels of government and expand their remit to include non-party members.

The Central Committee noted in its statement that reforms to the state supervisory system would be included in the amendment.

“It is necessary to establish an anti-corruption work organ under the unified leadership of the party according to law, and establish a centralised, authoritative and efficient national surveillance system,” it said.

The elevation of Xi, 64, into the Communist Party constitution in October had already brought him into the pantheon of the country’s most powerful leaders.

Earlier this week, the Party mouthpiece People’s Daily further cemented that status by publishing an article that for the first time referred to Xi as “lingxiu” — a Mao-era honorific with more reverential and spiritual connotations than the ordinary monikers.

“We should resolutely support the core, faithfully follow the ‘lingxiu’, use our courage and morale…and make strides toward a brighter future,” read the article published Monday.

China’s ruling body, the Politburo, in October used the term to refer to Xi and the military’s official PLA Daily and Henan Daily have also used it.

Mao, at the height of his personality cult during the early years of the 1966-76 Cultural Revolution, was hailed as a “great teacher, great lingxiu, great commander-in-chief, and great helmsman” — a slogan known as the “four greats.”

The party congress unveiled a new seven-member ruling council that did not include a clear successor to Xi, leaving the impression that he could break with recent tradition and seek a third term in office in 2022.</s>A closed-door meeting of the ruling Communist Party on Friday endorsed a proposal to include “Xi Jinping Thought”, the president’s political theory, in China’s constitution, Xinhua reported.

The proposal – to be formally approved by the national legislature’s full session in March – would make Xi the first sitting Chinese leader to see his name in the constitution since Mao Zedong.

It follows revisions made in October at the party congress that saw Xi’s theory – Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era – enshrined in the party charter.

The has reported that revisions to be discussed at the meeting were also likely to include the addition of former president Hu Jintao’s contribution to the Chinese Communist Party’s political theory, which was added to the party charter in 2007 but is yet to be included in the constitution.

The preamble of the constitution states that the party is guided by Marxism and Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory and the Three Represents – the latter three being the theoretical legacies of Mao, Deng and former president Jiang Zemin.

But the statement released after Friday’s meeting put Hu’s theory – Scientific Outlook of Development – ahead of Xi’s thoughts as being among the “guiding principles” for the revision.

Jiang’s Three Represents was added to the constitution when it was last amended in 2004, when he had retired from most top public offices except the military’s governing commission. Deng’s theory was included in the constitution in 1999, two years after his death.

Revisions discussed at the meeting on Friday will also pave the way for the new National Supervisory Commission to be established, a move described in the statement as “a major political reform”.

The super anti-corruption body will have huge investigative power and is being set up under a national supervision law that is also expected to be passed by the legislature in March.

Revisions to Chinese constitution will be key task for top cadres at plenum

Some of Xi’s signature policies were also discussed at the second plenum of the party’s Central Committee – a two-day session that finished on Friday – including environmental conservation and building “a shared destiny of mankind”, Xi’s call for China to play a bigger role in global affairs.

These policies were also likely to be added to the constitution, according to Beijing-based political commentator Zhang Lifan.

“The slogans he’s come up with may also be included in the preamble as part of the narrative of the country’s history,” Zhang said. “We were also watching for any change to the term limit [of the president] but there was no mention of that in the communiqué.”

First he swept up corrupt officials. Now Xi is tightening party control</s>China's proposed on Friday to engrave Xi Jinping's guiding philosophy in the country's constitution, further cementing his status as its most in decades. Xi's eponymous "thought" was already enshrined in the constitution at a major in October, elevating him to the same status as modern China's founder The of China's economic reforms, Deng Xiaoping, is the only other leader whose name appears alongside his guiding principle in both the state and party constitutions. The party's proposed at a two-day meeting that " Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era" should also be added to the state constitution, said the official The constitutional change must be approved by the National People's Congress, which is expected to hold its annual plenary session in March. The elevation of Xi, 64, into the constitution in October had already brought him into the pantheon of the country's most powerful leaders. The also unveiled a new seven-member ruling council that did not include a clear successor to Xi, leaving the impression that he could break with recent tradition and seek a third term in office in 2022.</s>(Eds: Updating with more inputs) By K J M Varma Beijing, Jan 19 (PTI) Xi Jinping, recently christened as "lingxiu", a leader with highest prestige, further cemented his powers as the most powerful leader after Mao Zedong, with the Chinese president's ideological thought set to be enshrined in the Constitution, state media said today.

The Central Committee of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) today proposed to write 64-year-old Xi's 'Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era' into the Constitution to take forward Marxism-Leninism and Mao Zedong Thought, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

"We should keep pace with the times and improve the Constitution while maintaining its consistency, stability and authority," the report quoted CPC document as saying.

The amending process should take Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory, the Theory of Three Represents, the Scientific Outlook on Development, and Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as the guide, it said.

A proposal from the CPC Central Committee on the revision to the Constitution was adopted at the meeting.

Only the ideological thoughts of CPC founder Mao and his successor Deng Xiaoping were mentioned in the Constitution along with their names so far.

Ahead of this meeting, official media declared him as "lingxiu" meaning a leader with highest prestige.

Xi, a princeling born to former vice premier Xi Zhongxun, will be the only modern era leader to be mentioned directly in the Constitution which analysts say may enable him to remain leader of the party and the country for life doing away with the two five-year term followed by his predecessor Hu Jintao.

Hu's predecessor Jiang Zemin also relinquished the leadership after 10 years at the helm even though he remained head of the military for a while.

Xi, who started his tenure as the head of the party, Presidency and the military in 2013, has begun his second five-year term after the once-in-a-five-year Congress of the CPC endorsed his leadership and approved his thought to be included in the Constitution.

Since then he has officially been regarded as the highest-ranking leader ending the collective leadership system followed in the past two decades.

Xi has already solidified his leadership with massive anti-graft campaign in the last five year in which over a million officials including top military generals were punished for corruption.

The CPC document has stressed that any act against the country's Constitution will be dealt with according to law.

"All anti-Constitutional behaviour shall be corrected, without fail. No organisation or individual has the power to overstep the Constitution or the law," it warned.

The new constitutional process was expected to be completed after the approvals by the legislature -- the National People's Congress (NPC) -- which is expected to meet in March this year. PTI KJV CPS AKJ CPS .

This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.</s>The Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee Friday proposed to write Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era into the Constitution.

 Major theoretical achievements, principles and policies adopted at the 19th CPC National Congress should be incorporated in the upcoming revision to the Constitution, according to a communique issued after the second plenary session of the 19th CPC Central Committee, which was held in Beijing Thursday and Friday.

 A proposal from the CPC Central Committee on the revision to the Constitution was adopted at the meeting.</s>A group of top Chinese Communist Party leaders is meeting in Beijing to discuss amendments to the country’s constitution, but so far few details have been made public. Analysts said the two-day meeting, which ends Friday, is likely to further cement Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s grip on power in the party state.

The last time, China amended its constitution was in 2004, and like that revision, this meeting is likely to tailor the document to the current leadership’s ideological agenda. Whether or not the changes will focus on ways to benefit the Chinese public is unclear.

 

 Of those academics we interviewed in China, some were unwilling to comment, fearing the possible retribution they could face if they said anything negative about the changes.

State media reports about the Central Committee meeting have been vague and when dates for the meeting were announced late last month, the official Xinhua news agency said the main agenda of the gathering would be to “discuss proposals about amending the constitution.”

The report did not provide any further details about just what proposals the 200-member body might discuss. It did, however, highlight the anti-corruption drive and the need to continue to ensure strict governance of the party.

That is a signal some analysts said that one key focus of the meeting might be on efforts to establish a new even more powerful anti-corruption agency - National Supervision Commission.

All proposals that are raised during the second plenary meeting of the 19th CCP Central Committee will receive final approval when the party’s rubber-stamp legislature meets in early March. During those meetings, a controversial National Supervision Law is expected to be passed, notes Hong Kong-based China political analyst Willy Lam. That law lays the groundwork for the establishment of the National Supervision Commission.

 

 “This is a new nationwide institution, so most likely the rationale for setting up such a National Supervision Commission will be spelled out in the constitution,” Lam said.

 

 The National Supervision Law and the commission it aims to establish has been a point of sharp controversy among some legal scholars here in China. One key concern is a lack of supervision and checks and balances over the new anti-corruption agency.

In an earlier opinion piece in the respected financial magazine Caixin, prominent legal scholar Chen Guangzhong gave a long list of concerns about the law and commission. That list included a call for the law to pledge to respect human rights and that the supervision commission’s independent power be consistent with those in the constitution.

Chen also noted concern that the drafting process for the National Supervision Law did not include the National People’s Congress or all relevant state agencies and instead was led by the party’s Central Commission for Discipline Inspection – the party’s anti-corruption body.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s massive anti-corruption drive has already seen more than 1.5 million officials investigated and the establishment of the commission is expected to expand the party’s anti-corruption powers to investigate at all levels of government, including at state-owned enterprises.

Analysts said amendments to the constitution are likely to also include political ideological changes as well. The phrase “Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era” is likely to be added to the constitution, as was done with the party constitution late last year.

During the 19th Party Congress in October, Xi had his thought and name added to the party’s constitution. That move, while seemingly symbolic, put Xi on par with former Chinese leaders Deng Xiaoping and Mao Zedong. Adding his name and thought to China’s constitution while still in office is something that no other communist leader has done since Mao Zedong.

“In addition to the ideals of the 19th party congress, there are other elements of the constitution that are unreasonable, but we’ll have to wait and see whether those things will be changed,” said Gan Chaoying, an associate professor at Peking University’s law school.

There is also speculation that Xi could use the opportunity to amend Article 79 of the constitution, which states the president and vice president of China can only serve two consecutive terms in office. Xi was approved to begin his second five-year term late last year and is now slated to step down in 2022. But many believe he wants to stay in office longer.

David Zweig, a political science professor at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, said he doesn’t believe Xi has the authority yet to pull such a controversial move off.

“I think that he still probably needs to prove to his colleagues that he actually can deliver on many fronts before they are going to give him a third term,” Zweig said.

 

 Willy Lam said it is doubtful Xi would want to pass that amendment now, given that he has already accumulated so much power. But, the possibility certainly exists, he added.

 

 “Xi Jinping is a very power-hungry egoistic leader, so it is possible that he might choose to do it during this constitutional reform,” Lam said. However, “given the fact that it would be abnormal to revise the Constitution again within a few years’ time, he might do it in one go.”

 

 Any of the constitutional amendments that are proposed this week will first need the support of the party’s 200-member strong Central Committee and support from two-thirds of the members of China’s parliament, the National People’s Congress (NPC).

Appointments to top government positions will also be decided during the meetings, but announcements are typically not made official until China’s NPC in March. Some reports have suggested that Wang Qishan, the former head of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection may be tipped to serve as vice president.

The Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post has quoted sources who suggest that in addition to being chosen to serve as vice president, Wang may also be allowed to sit in on meetings of the top Politburo Standing Committee.

“If it happens, it would be a remarkable bow to the formality of Chinese and Asian politics,” said David Zweig. “This would put him in the meetings, though probably no vote, though he would be in there and have a right to speak.”

By keeping Wang around, analysts said Xi Jinping could have the former graft-buster continue to focus on the anti-corruption drive. His continued presence would likely be welcomed by foreigners and the foreign business community, they said.</s>On Wednesday, the Chinese President will kick off the biggest and most-watched event in China's political calendar: The 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China.

This twice-a-decade meeting is akin to a closed-door election, and will see President Xi formally granted a second five-year term as the party's general secretary and a new generation of senior Chinese leaders anointed.

The week-long session, which opens with a key speech by Xi, will also chart the country's future course in a world where China's reach is now extending -- and being felt -- further than ever before. At stake, analysts say, is Xi's vision and legacy.

Here's why you should be paying attention.

The congress is being seen, in and outside of China, as a referendum on Xi's success in positioning himself as China's unquestioned political supremo, says Christopher Johnson, the Freeman Chair in China Studies at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.

With what Johnson describes as "political shock and awe," Xi has taken down senior leaders in his anti-corruption drive, launched an unprecedented crackdown on free speech, and radically overhauled the People's Liberation Army, the world's largest fighting force.

At the congress, Xi may cement his standing by revising the party charter to include "Xi Jinping Thought" as one of the party's guiding theories, elevating his stature to that of Chairman Mao Zedong who founded the People's Republic of China in 1949. China's previous two presidents haven't had their ideas enshrined in the constitution in this way.

Some have speculated that Xi may also seek to stay in power beyond 2022, breaking a tradition followed by his two predecessors and emulating Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"Wherever one looks, Xi seems to be at center vision in modern China. The only issue is whether one person can really extend their influence over such a wide area," said Kerry Brown, a professor of Chinese Politics at King's College London.

Why does it matter to the rest of the world?

With Xi expected to emerge from the congress stronger than ever, the world will likely see China continue to step into a global leadership vacuum as the US turns inward under President Donald Trump.

In his first five years in power, Xi eschewed the cautious foreign policy that had been a hallmark of his predecessors.

He's overseen the development of China's first overseas military base, backed a military buildup in the South China Sea and has unveiled a grand plan for the world economy that has China front and center.

So far China has more or less stuck to global norms -- but an emboldened Xi could change this approach in ways that may put China at odds with the existing international order and the US, which badly needs China's help reining in North Korea.

The first test of how this will play out comes in November, when Xi hosts Trump on his inaugural visit to Asia.

The congress opens on October 18 at the Great Hall of the People in Tiananmen Square, in the heart of Beijing. It's attended by 2,287 delegates from around the country who represent nearly 90 million party members.

They are set to elect a new leadership for the next five years, including the now seven-strong Politburo Standing Committee, whose members effectively rule China. But most, if not all, of the outcomes are predetermined after a long period of secretive bargaining between party power brokers.

While there's little doubt that Xi's grip on the top job is iron clad, the Party isn't monolithic and different factions vie for power. Who is admitted to the politburo and its standing committee will show which group is in the ascendant. Recent conventions, although not a hard and fast rule, have suggested that if members are above 68, they will retire.

However, there have been suggestions that Wang Qishan, Xi's right-hand man in his anti-corruption drive, may stay on even though he's 69. If Wang keeps his place in the standing committee, it will be a telling symbol of Xi's sway.

"Wang led the corruption crackdown, he's clearly a trusted ally. It would be surprising if he was to entirely disappear," said Christopher Balding, a professor of economics at Peking University's Shenzhen Graduate School.

Balding says he will primarily be looking to see if there's an "infusion of younger talent" into the powerful committee that sits atop the Chinese system -- a signal that Xi would look to step down at the end of the next five-year term.

"If it's the older crowd, it's a sign Xi could be staying on," he said.

The crunch moment will come at the end of the congress, when the Politburo Standing Committee, led by Xi, strides out onto the stage of the Great Hall of the People in a carefully choreographed performance of political pomp.

China's unpredictable and unruly neighbor is the one factor that could disrupt the proceedings.

North Korea has a track record of provoking its only real ally during key high-profile events, firing off missiles during last year's G20 meeting in Hangzhou, during the One Belt One Road forum in May, and again during the BRICS summit in Xiamen in September.

"Any kind of provocation would be considered a real affront to Xi," said Balding.

However, Paul Haenle, at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Beijing, says that Pyongyang's "persistent disruptions of Xi's most important occasions in the international limelight are not deal breakers for Beijing."

He says that Xi is likely to shrug off any provocation, barring the release of significant radioactive material or a test of a nuclear missile in the Pacific.

"Such actions could bring chaos and therefore undermine the party's longevity and directly challenge China's interests -- Beijing's only true red line."

Beijing, and the rest of the country, is already under extremely tight security as the congress gets underway.

Passengers arriving at Beijing's railway stations face extended security checks, according to the Beijing Daily News, and China's uniformed and plainclothes police, as well as its army of granny spies (think neighborhood watch on a huge, coordinated scale) will be out in force to ensure the event goes off without a hitch.

Some bars and clubs have been ordered to close for the session, and some small businesses have shut, with the extra security likely to deter customers and make commuting difficult for employees.

Already-strict internet censorship has been ratcheted up, with China this year slamming shut loopholes in its sophisticated "Great Firewall." WhatsApp has suffered serious disruption in China and there's been widespread deletion of "sensitive content" on social media.

But Beijing residents may be thankful for one potential upside to the congress: As during other high-profile and politically sensitive events, officials are trying to create blue skies and clean air by shutting down factories and restricting traffic.
Citing a national "fervor", the Communist Party of China proposes writing the Xi Jinping Thought into the state constitution, after it was already added to the party constitution.