bodyType

customContents

entityId

printArticlePageQuery

filter

article

body

urlAlias

articleSectionsContent

articleSeoArticle

articleSourceHeaderArticle

contentSchemaRenderContent

contentSubHeadlineContent

contentHeadlineContent

mainImagePrintArticleArticle

authorBlockPrintArticleArticle

contentSponsorTagContent

articlePianoPaywallContent

scmpYoutubeContent

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

query printArticlePageQuery(
  $entityId: String!
  $customContents: [CustomContentInput]
  $bodyType: BodyFormatTypeEnum
) {
  article(filter: {entityId: $entityId}) {
    entityId
    body(customContents: $customContents, type: $bodyType) {
      json
    }
    urlAlias
    ...articleSectionsContent
    ...articleSeoArticle_3o8td4
    ...articleSourceHeaderArticle
    ...contentSchemaRenderContent
    ...contentSubHeadlineContent
    ...contentHeadlineContent
    ...mainImagePrintArticleArticle
    ...authorBlockPrintArticleArticle
    ...contentSponsorTagContent
    ...articlePianoPaywallContent
    ...scmpYoutubeContent
    ...hooksTrackPageViewArticle
    id
  }
}

fragment articlePianoPaywallContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...hooksPaywallPromiseContent
}

fragment articleSectionsContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  sections {
    value {
      ...helpersCheckIfNewsSectionInFirstIndexSection
      ...entityLink
      name
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment articleSeoArticle_3o8td4 on Article {
  ...hooksArticleSeoArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
  ...helpersGetArticleTypeArticle
  entityId
  publishedDate
  updatedDate
  summary {
    text
  }
  subHeadline {
    text
  }
  body(customContents: $customContents, type: $bodyType) {
    text
  }
  keywords
  sections {
    value {
      name
      id
    }
  }
  topics {
    name
    entityId
    id
  }
  urlAlias
  authors {
    name
    id
  }
  images {
    style(filter: {style: "768x768"}) {
      url
    }
  }
  readingTime
}

fragment articleSourceHeaderArticle on Article {
  urlAlias
  ...entityLink
}

fragment authorBlockPrintArticleArticle on Article {
  ...defaultArticleDateContent
  ...authorNamesArticle
}

fragment authorNameAuthor on Author {
  ...entityLink
  name
  entityUuid
}

fragment authorNamesArticle on Article {
  authorLocations
  authors {
    entityId
    location
    ...authorNameAuthor
    id
  }
}

fragment blockquoteQuoteContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...contentShareWidgetContent
}

fragment checkersCheckContentContainsStarlingImageContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  topics {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment contentHeadlineContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  headline
  socialHeadline
  ...contentHeadlineTagContent
  ...helpersUseContentSponsorContent
}

fragment contentHeadlineTagContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...hooksContentHeadlineTagContent
}

fragment contentNewsletterWidgetContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  topics {
    relatedNewsletters {
      ...helpersMassageToNewsletterItemNewsletter
      id
    }
    id
  }
  sections {
    value {
      relatedNewsletters {
        ...helpersMassageToNewsletterItemNewsletter
        id
      }
      id
    }
  }
  ... on Article {
    relatedNewsletters {
      ...helpersMassageToNewsletterItemNewsletter
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment contentSchemaRenderContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...blockquoteQuoteContent
  ...imageContent
  ...inlineWidgetContent
  ...photoGalleryWidgetContent
  ...scmpYoutubeContent
}

fragment contentShareWidgetContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  entityId
  urlAlias
  shortUrl
  socialHeadline
  headline
}

fragment contentSponsorTagContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...helpersUseContentSponsorContent
}

fragment contentSubHeadlineContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  subHeadline {
    json
  }
  summary {
    json
  }
  ...contentSchemaRenderContent
}

fragment defaultArticleDateContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...hooksArticleDateUtilsContent
}

fragment entityLink on BaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias {
  __isBaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias: __typename
  __typename
  entityId
  entityUuid
  urlAlias
  urlRedirect {
    toUrl
    id
  }
  application {
    entityId
    id
  }
  ... on Section {
    fullSectionPath {
      entityId
      id
    }
    parentSection
  }
  ...helpersAppBarVariantBase
  ...helpersApplicationBase
  ...helpersCheckIsPlusArticle
  ...helpersStyleSectionContent
}

fragment helpersAppBarVariantBase on BaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias {
  __isBaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias: __typename
  ...helpersCheckIsLiveArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPlusPage
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesPage
  ...helpersCheckIsPostMagazineArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsStyleArticle
  ...helpersSectionContent
  ...helpersStyleSectionContent
}

fragment helpersApplicationBase on BaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias {
  __isBaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias: __typename
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesPage
  ...helpersCheckIsPlusPage
}

fragment helpersCheckIfNewsSectionInFirstIndexSection on Section {
  name
}

fragment helpersCheckIsAmpEnabledArticle on Article {
  entityId
  types {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
  sections {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
  disableOffPlatformContent
  sponsorType
  published
  ...helpersCheckIsPlusArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
}

fragment helpersCheckIsLiveArticle on Article {
  flattenTypeIds
  liveArticle {
    status
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsMainTopicContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  topics {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPlusArticle on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ... on Article {
    paywallTypes {
      entityUuid
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPlusPage on Page {
  urlAlias
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPostMagazineArticle on Article {
  sections {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle on Article {
  sections {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPostiesPage on Page {
  urlAlias
}

fragment helpersCheckIsStyleArticle on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  sections {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersGetArticleTypeArticle on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ... on Article {
    types {
      value {
        entityId
        id
      }
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersMassageToNewsletterItemNewsletter on Newsletter {
  entityId
  name
  alternativeName
  description {
    text
  }
  summary {
    text
  }
  homepageDescription {
    text
  }
}

fragment helpersSanitizeArticleTypeEntityIdsArticle on Article {
  types {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersSanitizeAuthorTypesArticle on Article {
  authors {
    types
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersSanitizedAuthorEntityIdsArticle on Article {
  authors {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersSectionContent on Section {
  fullSectionPath {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersStyleSectionContent on Section {
  fullSectionPath {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersUseContentSponsorContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  topics {
    entityId
    sponsor {
      ...sponsorTagSponsor
      name
      type
      id
    }
    id
  }
  ... on Article {
    sponsorType
  }
  ...helpersCheckIsMainTopicContent
}

fragment hooksArticleDateUtilsContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  createdDate
  publishedDate
  updatedDate
}

fragment hooksArticleSeoArticle on Article {
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostMagazineArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsStyleArticle
  ...hooksContentHeadlineTagContent
  ...helpersCheckIsAmpEnabledArticle
  entityId
  headline
  socialHeadline
  types {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
  authors {
    entityId
    id
  }
  images {
    generic_og: style(filter: {style: "og_image_scmp_generic"}) {
      url
    }
    styles(filter: {styles: ["og_image_posties_article", "og_postmag", "og_image_style", "og_image_scmp_analysis", "og_image_scmp_explainer", "og_image_scmp_editorial", "og_image_scmp_fact_check", "og_image_scmp_debate", "og_image_scmp_live", "og_image_scmp_obituary", "og_image_scmp_opinion", "og_image_scmp_review", "og_image_scmp_series", "og_image_scmp_generic"]}) {
      url
      style
    }
    type
  }
  urlAlias
}

fragment hooksContentHeadlineTagContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  __typename
  ... on Article {
    types {
      value {
        name
        entityId
        description {
          text
        }
        id
      }
    }
    ...helpersCheckIsStyleArticle
  }
  flag
  sections {
    value {
      name
      id
    }
  }
  ...hooksContentHelperContent
}

fragment hooksContentHelperContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...helpersSanitizeArticleTypeEntityIdsArticle
  ...helpersSanitizeAuthorTypesArticle
  ...helpersSanitizedAuthorEntityIdsArticle
  flag
}

fragment hooksPaywallPromiseContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  entityId
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
}

fragment hooksTrackPageViewArticle on Article {
  entityId
  publishedDate
  headline
  sections {
    value {
      name
      id
    }
  }
  urlAlias
  authors {
    name
    id
  }
  entityUuid
}

fragment imageContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  headline
  ...checkersCheckContentContainsStarlingImageContent
}

fragment inlineWidgetContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...contentNewsletterWidgetContent
}

fragment mainImagePrintArticleArticle on Article {
  images {
    title
    url
    isSlideshow
    size_652x446: style(filter: {style: "652x446"}) {
      url
    }
  }
}

fragment photoGalleryDialogContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  __typename
  ...contentShareWidgetContent
}

fragment photoGalleryWidgetContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...photoGalleryDialogContent
}

fragment scmpYoutubeContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  entityId
  urlAlias
  publishedDate
}

fragment sponsorTagSponsor on Sponsor {
  name
  type
  images {
    url
  }
}


sections

types

disableOffPlatformContent

sponsorType

published

headline

socialHeadline

authors

images

publishedDate

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

keywords

topics

readingTime

authorLocations

entityUuid

Wang Xiangwei

“Urgent: Communist Party of China proposes change of constitution [regarding] Chinese president’s term”. In a fashion typical of news agencies, the English-language service of the state-run Xinhua dropped the bombshell announcement in the early afternoon of February 25, adding that the party leadership proposed to remove from the constitution the expression that “president and vice-president shall serve no more than two consecutive terms”.
The brief report in English came nearly two hours ahead of the release of the full report in Chinese of the proposed changes to the constitution.
Its two sentences were immediately picked up by overseas news outlets and went viral on social media, with speculation focusing upon whether the proposed change was clearing the way for President Xi Jinping to rule for life.


But Xinhua is not a typical news agency. Carrying an official ranking equivalent to a cabinet ministry, it serves as the most authoritative source of the party leadership and it is the designated platform through which important documents and speeches are released. This means it must make sure its reports are politically correct above all else.
It has since transpired that some senior editors at Xinhua are facing disciplinary action, apparently because they jumped the gun and released the report purely for the sake of its news value.
How long does Xi plan to hold power? Here’s the magic number
The episode has not only illustrated the sensitivity of the proposed constitutional change, which will help Xi to tighten his grip on power.
More importantly, the episode – and particularly how public discussion of the proposed change has been so tightly controlled – portends trouble for China’s efforts to burnish its image as a responsible world power and heightens international concerns over Xi’s tightening grip and China’s future direction.
Long time readers of Xinhua, in both English and Chinese, will know that in the past Xinhua has periodically released reports of important policies and personnel changes in English often several hours ahead of the Chinese version, with editors picking the most newsy items for the Western audience. But this time, they may have misread the leadership, which apparently wanted to play down the decision. If so, this was wishful thinking by the leadership. Even if Xinhua had simply released the English version of the full report, which contained 21 proposed constitutional changes (the abolition of term limits was number 14), the overseas media still would have picked up and focused on the term limits issue. The impact would have been the same.
Maybe the leadership was incensed that because of Xinhua’s special status, the earlier release of the term limit change could be construed as something that the leadership wanted to highlight for the outside world.


Whatever the reasons, playing down what could be one of the most momentous changes in Chinese politics is counterproductive.
Over the past five years, China’s massive propaganda apparatus has tried every possible way to praise Xi and build a personality cult around him.
The party’s 19th congress in October gave Xi a second term as general secretary and approved the inclusion of “Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era” in the party constitution. Of Xi’s trinity of leadership positions, his more powerful positions as the general party secretary and chairman of the central military commission have no term limits.
One year on, it is time China delivered on Xi’s Davos speech
This has paved the way for the changes in the state constitution, which limits the presidency to two consecutive terms. The writing is now on the wall but originally analysts had expected the term limit change to take place much later in Xi’s second term.
According to an official explanation given to the deputies of the National People’s Congress last week, the decision to revise the state constitution was made by a politburo meeting chaired by Xi on September 29, even before the party’s 19th congress, which opened on October 18.
The explanation merely said the abolition of term limits on the presidency was made partly in response to calls from delegates to the 19th congress and a selected group of people consulted before the decision was made.
It said the change would help uphold authority and the unified command of the party leadership with Xi as its core, and was conducive to strengthening and improving the state leadership system.
But it did not explain how allowing Xi to rule indefinitely would benefit the country’s development.
On Wednesday, the NPC deputies and delegates to the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) were supposed to discuss the constitutional changes but most of the discussions were closed to overseas media. Meanwhile, China Central Television quoted Xi and other Chinese leaders along with other NPC deputies and CPPCC delegates as fully endorsing the changes and saying they reflected the wills of the party and the people.
Here’s how to beat fake data about the Chinese economy
The state media has largely refrained from discussing the issue and the authorities are vigilant in censoring any critical comments on social media.
This is in sharp contrast to the predominantly negative reports in the Western media. Most reports have portrayed the change as a power grab by Xi and suggest China is moving backwards to one-man rule and likening the situation to the era of Mao Zedong.
The most curious comment came from US President Donald Trump who was quoted saying in jest that now Xi was president for life, maybe the US would want to “give it a shot someday”.


So far, the state media has remained mute towards the sharp criticisms in the Western press but the silence is not helpful.
Whether Chinese officials like it or not, many of the issues raised in the Western media are valid. For instance, the term limits on the presidency were first introduced in the constitution in 1982 and were specifically aimed at preventing lifetime appointments following the lessons of the Mao era. The removal of term limits does suggest a break from the informal institutional rules that have governed leadership successions since the 1990s.
As China beats its war drum, who should hear its call?
Failure to engage in any sensible discussion of all those issues could heighten international concerns and lend support to the forces in the West that seek the containment of China.
Already, influential US politicians and analysts have argued it was a mistake to allow China to join the World Trade Organisation, which paved the way for China’s economic lift-off.
In a strategic national defence review unveiled by the Pentagon in early January, China, along with Russia, was described as undermining the international order and using “predatory economics to coerce neighbouring countries to reorder the Indo-Pacific region to their advantage”.
For the moment, Trump may still focus on the trade deficit with China but it is China’s deepening trust deficit with the US and other Western countries (and even neighbouring countries like India) that will have the greatest geopolitical implications. ■
Wang Xiangwei is the former editor-in-chief of the South China Morning Post. He is now based in Beijing as editorial adviser to the paper


Why China’s silence on Xi’s term limits move portends trouble

President Xi Jinping addresses delegates at the opening of the 13th National People’s Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Photo: EPA

Forget the trade deficit – China’s trust deficit with the West threatens to do far more damage

Xi Jinping at the NPC. Photo: Xinhua

(180212) -- CHENGDU, Feb. 12, 2018 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping (R, front), also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, meets with senior officers at local military units in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Feb. 12, 2018. (Xinhua/Li Gang)

epaselect epa06576563 A foreign journalist carrying a magazine with Chinese President Xi Jinping on its front cover arrives for the opening of the 1st Session of the 13th Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee at the Great Hall of the People (GHOP) in Beijing, China, 03 March 2018. The CPPCC is the top advisory body of the Chinese political system and runs alongside the annual plenary meetings of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC), together known as 'Lianghui' or 'Two Meetings'. EPA-EFE/HOW HWEE YOUNG

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Forget the trade deficit – China’s trust deficit with the West threatens to do far more damage


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China's presidential term limit: Opinion

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China Briefing | Why China’s silence on Xi’s term limits move portends trouble

Forget the trade deficit – China’s trust deficit with the West threatens to do far more damage