Image: During the March 2024 Two Sessions, Xi Jinping was photographed by foreign media in the Great Hall of the People with an expression of extreme pain while drinking tea.(Illustration by Qing Yu/People News)
[People News] Anomalies appeared in a report by the CCP's Xinhua News Agency on the October 28 meeting of the Politburo of the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee, with "Xi Jinping Thought" and other phrases disappearing. Then, on the 30th, reports on the issuance of the "Implementation Outline for Prosperously Developing and Strengthening Military Culture" by the General Office of the Central Military Commission, published by the CCP’s Military Daily and Military Network, also did not mention "Xi Jinping Thought." In fact, on the 29th, another report about Xi's speech did not mention "Xi Jinping Thought."
On October 29, Xi Jinping, the leader of the Chinese Communist Party, delivered a speech at a "Special Seminar for Leading Provincial and Ministerial Cadres on Studying and Implementing the Spirit of the 20th Central Committee’s Third Plenary Session." The speech's core was to "guide the entire party and the people to strengthen confidence in reform and better consolidate efforts to promote the steady and far-reaching progress of reform."
Xi first mentioned the Third Plenary Session of the 18th Central Committee of the CCP, saying it "created a new landscape for reform and opening-up, with epoch-making significance," providing a "solid foundation and valuable experience." He then emphasized that the principle of further deepening reform is "staying true to our mission and innovating," and promoted the "Four Upholds," stating that "there must be no wavering at any time or under any circumstances." He then discussed which aspects of reform need to be balanced, such as the relationship with rule of law, openness, and implementation; he also stressed the responsibilities of senior cadres in advancing reform, how to guide public opinion on reform, and how different regions and departments should implement a series of major initiatives set by the Politburo meeting.
Strangely, Xi did not mention his prized "Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era" (referred to as "Xi Jinping Thought") at all, which is unusual, as he previously highlighted "Xi Jinping Thought" prominently in similar seminars for provincial and ministerial-level cadres.
The vague term "Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era" was introduced by Xi Jinping in his report at the opening ceremony of the CCP's 19th National Congress on October 18, 2017. It specifically refers to his series of policy ideas, new concepts, and new strategies for governance. The 19th National Congress also amended the Party Constitution, adding "Xi Jinping Thought" alongside Marxism, Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory, the "Three Represents," and the Scientific Outlook on Development, establishing it as a guiding principle for the CCP.
Since then, as Xi continued to consolidate power and build a position as the "one supreme leader," the frequency of "Xi Jinping Thought" appearing in CCP media has increased, even surpassing other "guiding principles." Xi has also spoken highly of "Xi Jinping Thought" in various speeches, including those directed at senior provincial and ministerial officials. To make a clearer comparison, the author has selected speeches from recent years where Xi addressed seminars for provincial and ministerial leaders, to see if and how he referenced "Xi Jinping Thought."
On February 7, 2023, in a speech at the opening ceremony of a seminar for new members and alternate members of the Central Committee and provincial and ministerial-level leading cadres on "Studying and Implementing Xi Jinping Thought and the Spirit of the 20th National Congress," Xi explicitly stated that since the 18th National Congress, "we have established the Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, achieving a new leap in adapting Marxism to the Chinese context, providing fundamental guidance for Chinese modernization." The wording unmistakably elevated "Xi Jinping Thought" to a high level.
On July 26, 2022, in a speech at the opening of a special seminar for leading provincial and ministerial cadres on "Studying Xi Jinping’s Important Speech Spirit and Preparing for the 20th National Congress," Xi said that over the past 10 years, the CCP has adhered to Marxism, Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory, the "Three Represents," and the Scientific Outlook on Development, and has "comprehensively implemented the Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era." "We have insisted on integrating the basic principles of Marxism with China’s specific realities and with outstanding traditional Chinese culture, forming the Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, achieving a new leap in adapting Marxism to the Chinese context." Again, "Xi Jinping Thought" was elevated.
On January 11, 2022, in a speech at the opening of a special seminar for leading provincial and ministerial cadres on "Studying and Implementing the Spirit of the CCP’s 19th Sixth Plenary Session," although Xi did not explicitly mention "Xi Jinping Thought," when explaining the localization of Marxism in China, he stated, "continue to promote the combination of the basic principles of Marxism with China’s specific realities and with outstanding traditional Chinese culture, to write a new chapter in the adaptation of Marxism to the Chinese context." This was an indirect reference to "Xi Jinping Thought."
On January 11, 2021, at a seminar for leading provincial and ministerial cadres on "Studying and Implementing the Spirit of the CCP’s 19th Fifth Plenary Session," due to the severe global pandemic triggered by the spread of the virus, and with the CCP facing tremendous international pressure and domestic economic downturn and public grievances, Xi did not mention "Xi Jinping Thought" and instead talked about a new concept for development.
On January 21, 2019, at the opening of a special seminar for leading provincial and ministerial cadres on "Adhering to Bottom-Line Thinking and Focusing on Preventing and Defusing Major Risks," Xi emphasized adherence to "Xi Jinping Thought" as guidance, calling for the "Four Consciousnesses," firm "Four Confidences," and ensuring the "Two Safeguards."
On January 5, 2018, at the opening of a seminar for new members and alternate members of the Central Committee and leading provincial and ministerial cadres on "Studying and Implementing Xi Jinping Thought and the Spirit of the 19th National Congress," Xi stressed the importance of studying "Xi Jinping Thought."
Clearly, to strengthen the "reverence" and loyalty of senior provincial and ministerial officials, Xi has, over the past five years, nearly always mentioned "Xi Jinping Thought" in his speeches, with only one exception. By convention, especially in the face of challenges within the party and disloyalty from high-ranking officials, Xi should have at least mentioned it in the recent provincial and ministerial-level officials' seminar, yet he did not.
Notably, in four editorials published by Xinhua from October 30 to November 3 on studying Xi's speeches, "Xi Jinping Thought" is also absent. In a November 2 Military Daily report titled "Effectively Unifying Thoughts and Actions, Creatively Implementing the Reform Tasks - Xi Jinping’s Important Speech at the Opening of the Special Seminar for Provincial and Ministerial Cadres Evokes Strong Response Across the Military," there is similarly no mention of "Xi Jinping Thought" as guidance. However, seemingly to conceal internal issues within the CCP and respond to external doubts, the report abruptly adds terms such as "establishment, safeguarding, consciousness, confidence," and "implementation of the responsibility system for the Chairman of the Central Military Commission" at the end, which feels awkward. If the report were genuinely demonstrating loyalty to Xi, such expressions would typically be placed at the beginning.
Evidently, the absence of "Xi Jinping Thought" from important meetings may suggest that the CCP’s 20th Central Committee’s Third Plenary Session has already reached a consensus within the CCP’s top leadership. Comparing the Third Plenary Session Communique of the 20th Central Committee with that of the 19th Central Committee and the Second Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee, several unusual changes are apparent. First, the Communique, while affirming the Politburo's work, does not mention "Xi Jinping Thought."
Second, the Communique only conventionally mentions "the Central Committee with Xi Jinping at the core" at the end, while it is absent from the main text—a significant change. Third, the Communique, when affirming achievements, does not mention Marxism, Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory, etc., nor does it include "must be guided by Xi Jinping Thought" as in the Second Plenary Session Communique. Instead, the Communique includes language about "deepening study and implementation of Xi’s series of new ideas, viewpoints, and judgments on comprehensive deepening reform," which reappeared in the Politburo meeting and provincial-level officials' seminar.
The fourth unusual change is the Communique's mention of "maintaining the Party's unity and solidarity."
If we consider the recently concluded Third Plenary Session as the starting point for changes at the top level, it becomes evident that the current de-emphasis of Xi's position, the gradual removal of "Xi Jinping Thought," the strong promotion of reform and opening up, and the invitation of multiple foreign dignitaries to China align with the steps to alter previous policy directions. It seems that the physically and mentally fatigued Xi Jinping, for some reason, has had no choice but to accept this arrangement and act according to the Third Plenary Session’s Communique.
Perhaps the rumors about a few CCP elders and Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission Zhang Youxia controlling the political situation are not unfounded. And if they are conveying the Four Upholds through Xi's mouth, emphasizing that "there must be no wavering at any time or under any circumstances" while continuing to preserve the CCP, it is equally a dead-end road. △
(First published by People News)
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