China opens more research centres dedicated to Xi Jinping Thought
- The latest institution, dedicated to ‘ecological civilisation’, is the 18th established to promote his ideology and cement his grip on power
- The Chinese President’s consolidation of power means he has to show he is a ‘great leader with great ideas in all areas’, according to one observer
China has opened another research centre into Xi Jinping Thought as part of the drive to enshrine his ideology at the heart of the country’s governance.
The new addition, dedicated to his thoughts on ecology, brings the total of such research centres to 18, according to the official Xinhua news agency.
China announced the opening of 10 such centres in 2017, many affiliated to leading educational institutes such as Peking University, Tsinghua University, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and the Central Party School. Others are affiliated to the local governments in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.
Four coastal provinces – Shandong, Zhejiang, Jiangsu and Fujian – have since established similar centres, while a number dedicated to specific policy areas have also been set up.
The latest centre, run by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, will be dedicated to “Xi Jinping’s Thoughts on Ecological Civilisation”.