Xi Jinping: From resignation calls to attending meetings without a mask, here's what's going on with the leader

Last month Xi Jinping elevated himself to Mao Zedong, the founder of China’s Communist Party (CCP) who served a lifetime in office.

However, over the weekend major cities like Beijing and Shanghai were rocked with large crowdsprotesting China’s ‘Zero-Covid’ policy and calling for their President to ‘step down’.

Lifetime president

From 1990 onwards, China imposed a two-term limit for their President. This was until Xi Jinping came to power, who now has amassed unseen power since Chairman Mao Zedong’s all-encompassing rule from 1943-1976.

Xi Jinping is currently serving his second tenure as China’s President and was due to cede from his position and name a successor by 2023.

However, as BBC reported at the time, in 2018, Xi Jinping successfully mustered support among all but two Communist Party delegates to abolish the two-term rule making him a 'president for life.'

In October of this year, during the most recent CCP Congress, he rallied everyone in a unanimous vote to secure an unprecedented third term in power, the Financial Times reports.

‘Step down’ chants

Nevertheless, Xi Jinping is facing growing domestic strife for his handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

The China Government’s ‘Zero-Covid’ policy which is probably the most strict strategy imposed by any government to date, requires the total shutdown of an area that reports Covid-19 infections.

The measures of this strategy have been described as draconian and extreme. It includes, amongst other strict lockdowns, mass testing, and the closing down of businessesuntil no infections are reported anymore, the BBC reports.

This strategy has led to grave implications for the daily life of millions of people living in China. Resultantly, protests have broken out this weekend across major cities like Beijing and Shanghai, where protestors also called for Xi Jinping’s ousting.

The Financial Times reports that thousands of people took to the streets in Beijing alone, in acts of defiance against their government, invoking scenes from a national tragedy.

‘Dramatic scenes of civil disobedience in China since the Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989’.

Yuen Yuen Ang, an associate professor from the University of Michigan, believes that China is used to ‘sporadic protests’ about small local issues. This time she says it is about protesting a national policy, the ‘Zero-Covid’ one which is also Xi’s personal agenda.

According to Ang, Xi Jinpingdoubled down on the policy during the last CCP Congress meeting in October when he said that ‘China must stick to it without wavering’.

Meanwhile, Newsweek reports that Xi Jinping met with Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel reportedly without a mask, and was seen shaking hands. Similarly, last month Xi hosted the visit of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

The resumption of in-person state summitsat a time during which China is experiencing a resurgence of Covid-19has hurtXi’s image in front of his people.

His actions have fueled dissatisfaction among thousands of Chinese. People fed up with the ‘Zero-Covid’ strategy took to the streets and called for the ousting of their ‘lifetime’ President.

Sources used:

-BBC: ‘China's Xi allowed to remain 'president for life' as term limits removed’

-FinancialTimes: ‘Xi Jinping faces stiffest challenge to rule as Covid outrage sparks mass protests’

-BBC: ‘What is China's zero Covid policy and what are its rules?’

-Newsweek: ‘Maskless Xi Jinping Meets Cuban President Amid China COVID Surge’