Irish Examiner view: Beijing’s ‘Great Leader’ redux

The West will be watching for clues from Chinese President Xi Jinping, who said just before the Ukraine war that there were “no limits” in the relationship between his country and Russia.

This week in the Great Hall of the People on the western side of Tiananmen Square we will see further evidence that the world has slipped through a wormhole back to the 1970s. While Vladimir Putin attempts to recreate the USSR from his desk in the Kremlin the 20th Chinese Communist Party Congress will provide its own tribute to retro values by offering president Xi Jinping, their most powerful man since the “Great Leader”, Mao Zedong, a further five years in charge.

Xi, architect of the “zero Covid” policy; suppressor of liberties in Hong Kong; guiding spirit behind the “Belt and Road” expansionist initiative and hardline controller of an authoritarian state is expected to continue as party boss and leader of his country. In his opening comments, he defended China’s draconian pandemic controls including compulsory mass rapid testing and quarantine for infected persons and their contacts and lockdown of cities, contributing to a slowdown in economic growth and global supply chain difficulties.

On Taiwan he affirmed that reunification is a matter for China alone and that while he hoped this could be accomplished peacefully he would not rule out force. Joe Biden has warned that the US would defend the island against an attack from Beijing and has outlined plans to send arms worth more than $1bn. More will emerge this week and the West will be watching for clues from a leader who said just before the Ukraine war that there were “no limits” in the relationship between his country and Russia.