Chinese President Xi's Move To One Man Rule Will Impact Its Relations With The U.S. And Its Allies, And With China's Neighbours

Chinese President Xi Jinping, Reuters

Cary Huang, SCMP: Why Xi Jinping’s term limits move makes China-US conflict more likely

America’s policy towards China has long been that interaction could help the countries grow closer. But as Mao-style, one-man rule returns, they are growing apart – raising fears in the West that confrontation is inevitable.

The move to clear the way for President Xi Jinping to stay in power indefinitely by amending the constitution is an internal affair for China.

But the development will have profound ramifications beyond Chinese borders, particularly towards China’s relations with the United States, America’s allies in the free world and China’s neighbours.

Many Western analysts see the move to remove term limits on the Chinese presidency – a move that will enable Xi to become president for life – as a major setback in Chinese politics, something that harks back to the one-man rule of the Mao era.

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WNU Editor: For almost three decades a good part of China's economic growth was based on pursuing a slow but stable policy of political liberalization. This decision to go back to a one man rule has now destroyed this trend in political liberalization, and in turn it will hamper China's economic growth. After all .... most free economies are reluctant in dealing with an authoritarian regime .... and Western political institutions are certainly not interested in embracing such regimes. For a country like China that is dependent on foreign trade and easy access to markets for its growth .... this is going to become a problem. A fact that I do not think that President Xi Jinping and his ministers have yet to fully appreciate.