China continues to stake out an expansionist role on the world stage, while the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) continues to mold a more restrictive internal atmosphere, according to Eleanor Albert and Beina Xu in a Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) background report. The report not only explores the influence of current President Xi Jinping, but provides a refresher on the Leninist foundations on which the country continues to operate.
“Though Beijing has clamped down on the penetration of foreign influence with new restrictions on the Internet, nongovernmental organizations, and religion, its outreach to the outside world has not only expanded rapidly, including through controversial influence campaigns, but has also been orchestrated through the party’s lens to showcase a strong, admirable Chinese nation,” the report stated.
Internally, the country has seen crackdowns in recent years. Xi’s power expansion is a departure from “consensus rule” fostered by Deng Xiaoping after years of Mao Zedong’s repressionist rule which ended in 1976.
“[I]n March 2018, the congress amended China’s constitution rolling back term limits for China’s president, a move that paves the way for Xi to remain officially in power beyond 2022,” the report stated. “While some experts say that Xi’s extended influence may enable the party to more deftly address economic challenges, others such as CFR’s Jerome Cohen warn that China may in fact be headed for a renewed period of severe repression.”
Externally, China continues military modernization and flexing its muscles in the Pacific.
“China has staked unwavering claims on contested islands in the East and South China Seas, a move that pits the country against Japan and several other neighbors and has caused a diplomatic rift in the immediate region,” the report continued. “Beijing has also pursued extensive land reclamation efforts on the disputed islands, with satellite imagery suggesting the country’s militarization of these lands.”
Visit the Council on Foreign Relations to read the entire backgrounder and related material on the region.
© 2018 Homeland411
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