In to dispel unfounded rumors that he was placed under house arrest, Chinese President Xi Jinping made his first public appearance since returning to China from a state visit to Central Asia in the middle of September on Tuesday, when he went to an exhibition in Beijing.
Since his return to China from a conference in Uzbekistan, Xi has remained out of the public eye, sparking unfounded rumors of military coups in Beijing.
Xi is well-positioned to win a third term in office and carry out his laudable goal of “rejuvenating the Chinese country” for many years to come, despite a stagnant economy, the COVID-19 pandemic, infrequent public protests, increased frictions with the West, and tensions over Taiwan.
Since taking over as party general secretary ten years ago, Xi has progressively increased his position of authority and reduced opportunity for disagreement and resistance. In addition, China has significantly increased its aggressiveness on the international stage as a rival to the US-led post-World War II order.
The 69-year-old president abolished the two-term limit for the President in 2018, paving the way for his likely ascent to a third five-year term and potentially more.
During his ten-year tenure in office, Xi has implemented rigorous COVID lockdowns on cities to stop the spread of the disease, as well as crackdowns on party corruption that, according to some observers, were intended to bring down political competitors.
The international community has heavily criticized Xi for his repressive actions in the northwest region of Xinjiang, where an estimated million Uighurs and other Muslim minorities were jailed as part of a widespread campaign purportedly intended to counter “terrorism.”
Senior officials were removed in advance of the once every five years Chinese Communist Party (CCP) meeting on October 16, when it is expected that Xi will be re-elected as leader for a third time. On suspicion of corruption, former deputy ministers of public security Sun Lijun and Fu Zhenghua, as well as the police chiefs of Shanghai, Chongqing, and Shanxi, were imprisoned.
The arrests were China’s largest political crackdown in recent times. A list of the 2,300 delegates to the CCP central committee was released by official media on Sunday. Xi’s inclusion on the list also dispelled online conspiracy theories about a military takeover in Beijing that were fueled by unreliable videos of military vehicles and airline disruptions.