The Communist Party of China today inserted 'Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era' into its constitution, raising Xi's status to the same as Mao Zedong. Pictured, Xi delivers a report at the 19th National Congress in Beijing on October 18
China's ruling Communist Party enshrined President Xi Jinping's political thought into its constitution on Tuesday.
This has put 64-year-old Xi in the same company as Mao Zedong, the founder of modern China, and cemented Xi's power ahead of a new top leadership line-up.
No other leader since Mao has had an eponymous ideology included in the Constitution of the Communist Party of China while in office until Xi.
Deng Xiaoping, widely considered as the father of China's economic reform, has also been named in the constitution, but his name was only added after his death in 1997.
The party unanimously passed the amendment today to enshrine President Xi's ideology into its most influential document. Pictured, senior Chinese officials clap during the opening ceremony of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China on October 18
No other leader since Mao Zedong (right) has had an eponymous ideology included in the Constitution of the Communist Party of China while in office until the current Chinese president Xi Jinping (left). Above, Xi waves to attendees at the 19th National Congress
The party unanimously passed the amendment to include 'Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era' as one of its guiding principles at the end of its week-long congress.
The party will announce its new Standing Committee, the apex of power in China, around midday (0400 GMT) on Wednesday, culminating a twice-a-decade leadership reshuffle. The current committee is made up of seven people.
Also included in the amended constitution was the party's 'absolute' leadership over the military, that the fight against corruption will continue, Xi's 'Belt and Road' development initiative, supply-side reforms, and giving play to the 'decisive role' of market forces in resource allocation.
Chinese President Xi Jinping (left) shake hands China's former president Jiang Zemin (right) at the Chinese Communist Party's Congress on October 18. Never before had a Chinese leader's name been inserted into the party constitution while they were in office since Mao Zedong
Xi has rapidly consolidated power since assuming party leadership in late 2012 and then the presidency the next year. Pictured, Xi delivers a speech during the opening session of the 19th Communist Party Congress held at the Great Hall of the People on October 18
Communist Party delegates listen to President Xi Jinping giving a nearly four-hour long speech on the country' future during the opening ceremony of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on October 18
'The congress holds that the leadership of the Communist Party of China is the most essential attribute of socialism with Chinese characteristics and the greatest strength of this system,' the party said in a statement.
'The party exercises overall leadership over all areas of endeavour in every part of the country,' it said.
Whether Xi was able to have his name 'crowned' in the party constitution had been seen as a key measure of his power, elevating him to the level of previous leaders exemplified by Mao Zedong Thought and Deng Xiaoping Theory.
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