BEIJING: Xi Jinping was elevated to the pantheon of China’s most powerful leaders on Tuesday as his name was enshrined in the Communist Party constitution alongside Chairman Mao.

The inclusion of Xi’s eponymous guiding philosophy at the end of a week-long congress could set him on course for an indefinite term as China’s paramount leader.

He will now have an even stronger hand to lead the nation into a “new era” in which he envisions it becoming a global superpower with a world-class military by mid-century.

Communist China’s founder Mao Zedong, and the architect of its market reforms, Deng Xiaoping, are the only other Chinese leaders to have their names in the constitution — and only Mao was alive when his was included.

Xi, 64, presided over the congress’s closing session where some 2,300 delegates approved the constitutional amendment to include “Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era”.

The concept places a heavy emphasis on the party’s role in governing every aspect of the country, from the economy to what people are writing on social media.

“We must work tirelessly and forge ahead on the journey of realising the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation,” Xi, who is due to be reappointed as party chief on Wednesday, told the congress in concluding remarks.

The honour may allow Xi to stay on as China’s top leader even if he gives up the title of party general secretary when his second term ends in 2022 as tradition demands, analysts said.

Or he could carry on as party leader. Xi’s time as national president must end in 2023 but there is no official restriction on how long a party chief can serve — although Xi’s two immediate predecessors, Jiang Zemin and Hu Jintao, stepped down after two five-year terms.

Jiang and Hu had their concepts included in the constitution, but without their names and only when they retired.

“China has a tradition of combining emperor and teacher, which means that the emperor is also the thought leader. Xi achieved it at the end of his first term. That’s rare in our history,” Chinese political scholar Hu Xingdou told AFP.

Xi also managed to get at least two of his cherished programmes written into the constitution: an anti-corruption campaign that has brought down 1.5 million crooked officials since 2012 and the Belt and Road initiative, the massive global trade infrastructure project intended to increase China’s influence abroad.

The congress declared the Communist Party China’s “absolute leader”, a clear sign that it intends to further tighten its grip on the country.

“Those who approve, raise your hands,” Xi said during the vote as a flurry of arms shot up in unison. When he asked if anyone was not in favour, shouts of “None!” echoed in the imposing Great Hall of the People.

“Now our country is unified, cohesive, and moving up in the world,” northeast Jilin province delegate Li Hualiang told AFP.

The congress also elected a new 204-member Central Committee, which included just 10 women. It will elect the party’s new ruling council, the Politburo Standing Committee, on Wednesday.

Published in Dawn, October 25th, 2017