With a nearly unanimous vote Sunday, China’s congress scrapped presidential term limits from the constitution, a move that sets up President Xi Jinping to rule indefinitely and a sign it is returning to a one-man rule system.
Government censors on social media have cracked down on criticism of removing term limits, removing political memes and scrubbing mentions of words like “king” or “emperor.”
Videos by VICE
Since 2013 when Xi Jinping came into power, he’s consolidated his power through high-profile anti-corruption drives, a cult of personality and by amassing global influence through trade. He set out an ambitious vision for the way forward at the Communist Party’s 19th Congress last October: for China to become a global superpower.
“Meet Xi Jinping” is the first installment of a video series exploring how global leaders rule and maintain power.
Video edited by Michael Shade.
