Chinas Xi amasses power to tackle grim challenges

Chinese President Xi Jinping leaves after his speech at parliament building in Jakarta, Indonesia. Pic: AP. B AP News !ar "#, $"%& BEIJING (AP) Xi Jinping looks more power !l than an" Chinese lea#er in recent #eca#es as his go$ernment prepares to #eli$er its irst one%"ear report car# &e#nes#a"' (!t a #ea#l" weeken# slashing spree (" allege# separatists was a remin#er o the serio!s challenges acing his a#ministration) In recent weeks' Xi has p!t himsel in charge o three polic"%setting panels* a new top% le$el part" committee oc!se# on steering state sec!rit"' a panel on #ri$ing sweeping economic re orms' an# another on c"(ersec!rit") +eanwhile' he has (!rnishe# his pop!list image with !nanno!nce# p!(lic strolls to mi, with or#inar" olks an# pro$i#e photos ops) -he mo$es come as Xi tries to (etter position the Comm!nist Part" to respon# to gra$e challenges that test his lea#ership) .e" among them is escalating ethnic !nrest in the ar west that sprea# to a so!thern cit" on /at!r#a" in an attack that kille# 01 people) -he part" also nee#s to tackle entrenche# o(stacles to to!gh economic re orms' slowing growth an# rising territorial tensions with neigh(ors) &hen the ann!al session o the largel" r!((erstamp legislat!re opens this week' the

a#ministration is e,pecte# to s!m !p its response to these an# other challenges' an# o!tline ne,t steps) Premier 2i .e3iang #eli$ers the a#ministrations work report to the National Peoples Congress on &e#nes#a") 4nl" a little o$er a "ear in o ice' Xi is alrea#" seen as ha$ing consoli#ate# more power than his pre#ecessors) 5is lea#ership roles in the three polic"%setting panels gi$e him in l!ence o$er police' intelligence an# militar" operations' the re orm e ort an# Internet controls) 5es also wage# an e,pansi$e anti%corr!ption campaign that has elle# high%le$el o icials aro!n# the co!ntr"' winning him k!#os rom the p!(lic) Xi Jinping is a man in a (it o a h!rr" who reall" wants to #o something'6 sai# /te$e -sang' a political scientist at the 7ni$ersit" o Nottingham) 8-he general secretar" o the part" is !sing the part" to take control an# #eli$er)6 Xis mo$es make him a more aggressi$e lea#er than his pre#ecessor 5! Jintao' regar#e# as (lan# an# increasingl" weak towar# the en# o his #eca#e in power while st"mie# (" actional in ighting) 5!s pre#ecessor' Jiang 9emin' also was regar#e# as merel" a 8 irst among e3!als6 in the Polit(!ro /tan#ing Committee' the ape, o power) As hea# o the state sec!rit" committee' Xi will (e (etter place# to comman# law en orcement agencies in respon#ing to emergencies s!ch as those in$ol$ing a simmering anti%Chinese re(ellion among the -!rkic%speaking 7igh!r (prono!nce# &EE%g!r) ethnic minorit" in Xin:iang) -ensions sprea# to .!nming' a cit" more than ;'<== kilometers (1== miles) so!theast o the region' on /at!r#a" when assailants went on a slashing rampage at a train station) >ew #etails a(o!t the committee ha$e (een release# other than that it is hea#e# (" Xi' with the co!ntr"s No) 0 an# No) ? lea#ers as his #ep!ties' making it a law en orcement coor#ination s!per%agenc" with !nprece#ente# powers) 4n the one han# the e$ents in .!nming show that the c!rrent sec!rit" apparat!s was not #oing its :o( properl") At the same time' Xi Jinping co!l# !se this as a :!sti ication to con$ince the NPC o the nee# to set !p this monster organi@ation'6 &ill" 2am' a political anal"st at the Chinese 7ni$ersit" o 5ong .ong) E$en as he amasses power' Xi has also (een tirelessl" ashioning himsel as a man o the people a challenge or someone who as the o spring o the part"s re$ol!tionar" elite en:o"s 8princeling6 stat!s) 5e $isite# a s!(wa" control room in Bei:ing last week an# calle# on actor" workers' one o whom was mo$e# to tears) 5e strolle# along tra#itional alle"wa"s an# chatte# with resi#ents in their li$ing rooms' asking them a terwar# i the" wante# 8a gro!p photo)6 I grew !p near here' so to#a" Im here to see the ol# neigh(orhoo#'6 Xi sai#) 2ast month' he p!t on pa##e# winter militar" atig!es an# (ra$e# rigi# temperat!res an# #eep snow to shake han#s with arm" troops patrolling Chinas (or#er with +ongolia) 5! Xing#o!' a political economist at the Bei:ing Instit!te o -echnolog"' sai# Xis

appearances generate enth!siastic co$erage (" Chinese state me#ia not (eca!se Xi is tr"ing to (!il# a personalit" c!lt' (!t simpl" (eca!se hes m!ch more congenial than his pre#ecessors) It is clear that Xi wants a certain kin# o a!thorit"' otherwise it will (e #i ic!lt or him to get his policies carrie# o!t'6 5! sai#) E,perts sai# Xis con i#ence is !nlikel" to change the (asic wa" China is r!le# (" a collecti$e lea#ership) -heir consens!s%(ase# #ecision%making at the highest le$els has (een seen as the (est wa" to pre$ent a part" chie rom (ecoming a #ictator) Certainl"' he has the g!ts to #o some things that some other lea#ers' collecti$e lea#ers' wo!l# not #o'6 sai# Cheng 2i' a China e,pert at the Brookings Instit!tion' a &ashington think tank) B!t the goal is not to change the nat!re o the collecti$e lea#ership an# ret!rn to strong man politics' it onl" makes him a(le to (e 3!ite (ol# an# to!gh an# tr" to get things #one'6 2i sai#) Among things the part" nee#s to tackle* c!r( corr!ption' p!sh market re orms an# clean !p poll!te# waterwa"s an# choking smog) In No$em(er' the part" release# a sweeping re orm plan to re:!$enate the state% #ominate# econom") -he (l!eprint or the coming #eca#e also ple#ge# legal' social an# other impro$ements' s!ch as gi$ing more propert" rights to armers an# c!r(ing the !se o tort!re to e,tract con essions) Xi has acknowle#ge# the #i ic!lties) In acing pro(lems that ha$e alrea#" appeare# or might appear in the re orm process' #i ic!lties m!st (e o$ercome one (" one' pro(lems m!st (e sol$e# one a ter another'6 he sai# at a re orm panel meeting in Jan!ar") 5a$e (oth the co!rage to make a mo$e as well as (e a#ept at respon#ing to mo$es' so as to (e Aswi t an# stea#")6