Xi Jinping looks inward after muscle flexing outside
Image credit X.com
CCP Politburo in ‘unusual meeting’ urges officials to take risks
By Manish Anand
New Delhi, September 27: A day after the politburo meeting of the Chinese Communist Party, China’s central Bank cut the cash reserve ratio by 50 basis points. The politburo meeting presided over by China’s President Xi Jinping turned sharp focus on challenges faced by the economy.
The People’s Daily, Chinese Communist Party (CCP) mouthpiece, spotlighted Xi’s bid to jumpstart the economy. China observers are taking sharp interests in the politburo giving immunity to officials “who fail in their tasks”.
While China hit global headlines for disappearance of senior officials, including former foreign affairs and fence ministers, the politburo meeting readout stated that “the officials can go bold with their innovations without worrying about consequences of making mistakes”.
Zhu Hengpeng, a well-known Chinese economist, had disappeared this week after criticizing Xi in a chat on social media platform. His disappearance was reported ahead of the politburo meeting with sharp focus on the economy.
“The Politburo meeting didn’t only yield good policies for stimulating the economy but also made these policies actionable by giving officials a free hand (and free of accountability) to implement them,” commented Brian Tycangco, Editor Stransberry Research, in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
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He argued that “China’s provincial-level officials for long have been hesitant to push for growth fearing the consequences of not attaining their targets”. The People, a Chinese portal, in an account of the message of the meeting stated: “The majority of party members and cadres should be brave to take responsibility and dare to innovate, grow their skills and achieve results in overcoming difficulties.”
The politburo meeting came within a few days of the unveiling of the stimulus package by Beijing. Also, Japan’s warship sailed into the Taiwan straits on the day Xi was presiding over the politburo meeting.
“Beijing still needs a coherent China story that is more readily embraceable abroad. More ironclad friendships especially with those higher on the power ranking also incumbent,” said Wen-Ti Sung, a China and Taiwan observer, in a post on X.
Commentators are taking note of Xi’s urgency to firefight the economic gloom at the domestic front. After at least four years of muscle-flexing with neighbours, China is admitting growing challenges within.
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China wasn’t vocal in snaring at Japan for sending warship into the Taiwan waters. China also is showing progress in de-escalation with India in the eastern sector per briefings of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing.
The Chinese ambassador in the US, Xie Feng, spotlighted Beijing’s overtures to Washinton to smoothen ties. Xie quoted Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi telling his American hosts that “as permanent members of the UN Security Council and the world’s two largest economies, China and the US should strive for the stable, healthy, and sustainable development of their relationship, and work with the international community to address the numerous global challenges facing today’s world”.
It is hoped that the US side will adopt an objective and rational understanding of China to enhance mutual understanding and trust, Xie quoted Wang saying.
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