Gabriel Crossley and Yew Lun Taian

BEIJING (Reuters – Chinese President Xi Jinping plans to pass a historical resolution next week at a major Communist Party gathering, consolidating his authority and legacy as well as bolstering his case for a record-breaking third term that will begin next year.

When the Communist Party’s Central Committee meets on Nov 8-11, it will discuss and nearly certainly approve a resolution about the “important achievements of the party’s 100-years of struggle”.

Yang Chaohui from Peking University, who lectures in political science, said that “this resolution is a further step by Xi. It consolidates power and lays the foundation for a third term.”

This so-called historical resolution, whose text has not yet been published, is only the third. The previous two were made during the tenures Mao Zedong or Deng Xiaoping.

Although Mao and Deng made such resolutions to the party for them to review past mistakes and to criticise those who took the wrong course, analysts believe this will celebrate the success of Xi’s era to build consensus on the correct path for the country and the party.

It will all be about “praise, self-praise,” Deng Yuwen (a former editor for the Communist Party’s school newspaper) wrote this article on Yibao. Yibao is an online platform dedicated to the advancement of democracy in China.

Xi, who has become the most influential Chinese leader since Mao eliminated the 2-term limit. It is widely anticipated that he will get a third, five-year term when the Central Committee meets for the 20th Party Congress.

The party’s propaganda division issued a document in August that detailed the party’s historical missions and contributions over the past century. This document was heavily focused upon Xi’s governance.

The Communist Party’s publicity office did not respond immediately to our request.

Trey McArver (a Partner at Beijing-based consultancy firm Trivium) stated that the resolution was meant to “cement Xi’s new approach – and close the door for Deng’s reform era.”

He said, “This includes doubling down China’s one party political system, restructuring the economy to more high-quality, inclusive growth models, and being assertive in international affairs.”

XI’S A WAY

Mao’s first historical resolution was made in 1945, four years before the People’s Republic was founded. It was used to exonerate rivals who held dissenting views. He then became the world’s most powerful leader.

In 1981, the second under Deng closed the Cultural Revolution chapter, adjudged Mao to be “70% right” and “30% wrong”, and made capitalism ideologically acceptable. It also laid the foundation for reform and openness.

China has transformed since, becoming more integrated, assertive, wealthy and less egal.

The Party’s leadership style has changed as well.

Deng, his two closest successors, believed the party had to give government, economy, and society the space they need to grow organically. In 2017, Xi said, “East, West, South, North, Centre – The Party Leads All”.

Yang stated that “While all leaders from Mao have always supported the one-party rule,” Yang said.

The upcoming resolution will be a nameless discussion about the party’s success over the last 100 years. However, the resolution will end up concluding that the current, Xi’s, way is the best.