Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping has taken a step closer to the top leadership post as he was named vice chairman of the Central Military Commission on Monday. The promotion is apparently intended to pave the way for him to succeed President Hu Jintao around 2012.
The move came at the end of a four-day annual session of the Chinese Communist Party leadership. It is designed to facilitate the smooth leadership transition and maintaining political stability by making it possible to predict who will be the nation’s next president. Executive Vice-Premier Li Keqiang is also widely favored to succeed Premier Wen Jiabao.
The potential future leaders are expected to add more strength to its economy, speed up social transformation and tackle mounting challenges at home and abroad. They had better bear in mind that the Chinese as well as people around the world have high expectations for their leadership roles.
Most of all, the next leadership needs to bring a new change to China to turn the nation into a global power. China should do more to contribute to addressing such international issues as a worldwide economic crisis, climate change, poverty reduction and peace-making.
China is gearing up for new economic goals for the next five years which were approved by the just-ended party leadership meeting. A change is inevitable as the Asian giant cannot keep its export-oriented, high growth policy anymore. Thus, the new five-year plan calls for expanding domestic demand, narrowing the development gap between urban and rural areas, closing the income disparity between rich and poor, and strengthening the social safety net.
Such a policy shift is likely to enable China to become the world’s largest economy in the mid-2020s. However, the country is still reluctant to discuss any political change or reform to establish democratic political institutions. What’s for certain is that China cannot be a real global power without putting in place a more democratic and transparent political system.
China is under criticism over its high-handed handling of a recent territorial dispute with Japan over a group of uninhabited islands in the East China Sea. It is also blamed for its angry reaction to the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to imprisoned dissident Liu Xiaobo. It is necessary for Beijing to be more tolerant of criticism and different voices, respect human rights and other universal values, and promote a democratic system.
The nation is also required to play a more active role as a rising international power. For example, it must do more to help resolve the North Korean nuclear issue to settle peace and ensure security in East Asia. It also needs to exert its influence to prod Pyongyang to move toward opening and reform. We really hope the emerging Chinese leaders will meet the expectations of its neighbors and the world.