China now holds itself up as a world model

LAST October, China raised its leader Xi Jinping to dizzying heights when it wrote Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era into the Communist Party constitution.

Now, the National People's Congress, China's parliament, has incorporated the thought into the state constitution. It has also shed some light on what the "new era" holds. It will be an era when Mr Xi, who was formally elected to a second five-year term as president last Saturday, would be able to continue in office indefinitely, since term limits were lifted by the congress. At the same time, he holds two other key positions - leader of the Communist Party and chairman of the Central Military Commission - making him by far the most powerful person in the country, without real curbs.

In China, term limits have a special meaning. They were introduced after the death of Mao Zedong to ensure that no future leader could emerge who would be in a position to bring about the massive abuse of power, including the calamity known as the Cultural Revolution that characterised Mao's 26-year autocratic rule.