China Briefing | Xi’s new era is here, but historic Communist Party resolution is just the start

In casting Xi as a helmsman on par with Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping, this week’s rare party resolution cemented his position as paramount leader

Yet amid domestic and external ‘changes not seen in a century’, a multitude of challenges lie ahead – and Xi will have to deliver

Reading Time:4 minutes

Xi Jinping gives a speech at the sixth plenary session of the 19th Communist Party Central Committee in Beijing on Thursday. Photo: Xinhua via EPA

Published: 9:30am, 13 Nov 2021Updated: 5:39pm, 15 Apr 2022

Xi Jinping’s new era truly has begun. If anyone still has any doubt that he will dominate Chinese politics in the years to come, the historic resolution adopted by a top leadership meeting which ended on Thursday has provided the glowing theoretical justification for his continued reign.

It may be called the Resolution on Major Achievements and Historical Experiences of the Party over the Past Century but it is less about history than Xi’s era, with senior officials mincing no words in emphasising that it is all about “resolutely upholding Comrade Xi Jinping’s core position” in the Communist Party, state, and military.

A communique released after the sixth plenum of the Communist Party’s 19th Central Committee urged the country to rally behind the party, with Xi at its core, to realise his vision of national rejuvenation.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, centre, votes at the sixth plenum of the Communist Party’s 19th Central Committee alongside other committee members. Photo: EPA

As the resolution casts Xi as a helmsman, elevating his status on par with Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping, it paves the way for him to seek a historic third term as party chief and state president in 2022 and 2023, respectively. Not only that, Xi’s hold on power and his influence over the course of the country are expected to last even longer, judging by the communique and explanations of senior officials.

At the time of writing, the leadership has not released the full text of the resolution – but the communique has given a summary of the salient points.

In the party’s parlance, the words “historic resolution” carry special political significance and implications. Previously, only twice in the party’s 100-year history had its leaders adopted a document of this kind to resolve historical issues at critical junctures and build a new narrative to unite it around chosen leaders and their visions.

The first was passed in 1945 and guided by Mao Zedong, establishing his authority and marking a break from Stalinist influences which would ultimately enable the party to come to power in 1949. The second resolution was orchestrated by Deng Xiaoping, who repudiated Mao’s extreme leftist policies. It united the party’s thinking around his policy of reform and opening up, paving the way for China to become an economic powerhouse.

In many ways, the previous two resolutions were aimed at cutting ties with the past and learning the lessons of history. But the third is more forward looking. It merely uses the party’s history as a backdrop to bolster Xi as the helmsman who will lead the country forward.