Chinese Communist Party (CCP) adopted a rare resolution summarizing the major achievements and experiences of the party's 100 years during a meeting of its Central Committee that ended Thursday. The committee's move has drawn special attention as it paved the way for Chinese President Xi Jinping to extend his stay in power.
The committee praised Xi's socialist ideology, deemed to be unique for China in a new era, as the essence of the country's culture and spirit. It acclaimed Xi's leadership, saying it enabled China to become ever stronger. The statement is the third of its kind in the party's history, following one that was issued under Mao Zedong who founded the party and another under Deng Xiaoping who laid the ground for China's economic development.
The committee's move set the stage for Xi to extend his power during the incoming 20th party congress next year. A party official described Xi as a “helmsman” during a news conference Friday. Mao managed to secure legitimacy for his one-man rule by beating his political enemies in 1945, while Deng solidified his own open and reform policies while criticizing the fallacies and legacies of Mao's radical 1966-76 Cultural Revolution. Via the recent historical resolution, Xi will likely emerge with absolute authority.
Yet, the CCP's move to elevate Xi's authority does not necessarily mean China's securing of a status and prestige as a respectable leading global power. This means China should make more efforts to meet the requirements of the international community and history. It should take steps to cherish the values of democracy and human rights and embrace other countries as a reliable member of global society with a sense of responsibility that matches its military strength and economic power.
In an apparent bid to highlight Xi's leadership, China is seeking to join hands with the United States on major pending issues. For starters, Xi and U.S. President Joe Biden will hold a virtual summit next week. The face-to-face meeting, albeit via video, is the first since January when Biden took office. On Thursday in Glasgow, Scotland, the two nations announced a joint statement featuring bilateral cooperation to cope with climate change.
The U.S. confirmed its pledge for carbon neutrality by 2035 while China vowed to reduce its coal consumption gradually from 2026 to 2030. As it is the second-largest emitter of greenhouse gases, China's move caught many countries off guard, as it has maintained a lukewarm attitude toward the 26th Convention of Parties (COP26). It seems China has been fine-tuning the timing of the summit and joint statement in time with the historical resolution.
China has come under growing criticism here due to its recent restriction of exports of diesel exhaust fluid, or “urea water,” to the nation after it already banned Korean cultural exports in retaliation to the deployment of a U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system in Korea. It has also been distorting history with its Northeast Project and Chinese people have been claiming kimchi as its own indigenous food. China has been flexing muscles with its crackdowns on the democracy movement in Hong Kong and its military campaign against Taiwan. China should refrain from bullying regional countries and make efforts to embrace them.