BEIJING: Chinese president Xi Jinping seemed invincible when lawmakers abolished a term limit on his power early this year. But of late, China has been plagued by economic slowdown, a vaccine scandal and trade battles with Washington, emboldening critics to question his sweeping power. Censorship and punishment have muted dissent in China since Xi came to power. So law professor Xu Zhangrun of Tsinghua University in Beijing took a big risk last week when he criticised Xi's policies.
Lawmakers urged to curtail Xi's tenure
Xu urged Chinese lawmakers to reverse the vote in March that abolished a two-term limit on Xi's tenure as president. The essay appeared as a burst of troubles has given a focus for criticisms of Xi's strong arm ways, and it has spread through Chinese social media, despite censors. Other less damning criticisms, petitions and jibes about Xi's policies have also spread. "Over recent months, China has been grappling with a growing trade dispute with the United States. Some Chinese foreign policy experts have suggested that the trade fights with the Trump administration could have been contained if Beijing had been more flexible and moved faster to douse triumphalist statements about its goals. "China should adopt a lower profile in dealing with international issues," professor Jia Qingguo, who teaches international relations at Peking University, said at a recent forum in Beijing. "Don't create this atmosphere that we're about to supplant the American model."
Revelations about faulty vaccines given to hundreds of thousands of children have ignited public anger and protests, especially because the government promised to clean up after similar previous scandals. Xi convened a meeting of the Politburo which warned of economic tests while promising to keep growth steady. The economy was sound but "faces some new issues and challenges, and the external environment has undergone clear changes", the meeting concluded.
The undercurrent of discontent does not pose any immediate threat to Xi's hold on power. He and the Communist Party remain firmly in control. And many Chinese people endorse his tough campaign against corruption and his vows to build China into a great power that will not compromise over territorial disputes.
