The broad narrative had already been dictated by the high-ranking Politburo ahead of the meeting,but the endorsement by the Central Committee will allow Xi to continue his policy agenda unimpeded,and with the theoretical backing of “Xi Jinping Thought” now embedded alongside former leaders Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping in China’s psyche.
The Central Committee said in a communique on Thursday it would uphold Xi Jinping’s core position as the principal founder of Xi Jinping Thought and as the driving force of “the historic process of national rejuvenation”.
“The Central Committee calls upon the entire Party,the military,and all Chinese people to rally more closely around the Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core,to fully implement Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era,and to champion the great founding spirit of the Party,” the communique said.
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Chinese state media has been blanketed in propaganda in the lead up to the resolution,shoring up popular support for Xi,who will use his management of COVID-19,international disputes and the economy to claim a mandate as the only person capable of leading China through turbulent times.
China’sPeople’s Daily – the highest-profile mouthpiece of the Party – said in an editorial on Wednesday that under the guidance of Xi,the Party’s leadership,as well as the “fields of economy,politics,culture,society,ecological civilisation,military affairs,and foreign affairs have undergone historical transformations”.
“Marx pointed out that every era must have its own great personage,” the newspaper said.