China’s ruling Communist Party is preparing for a historical congress this weekend and it is widely expected that President Xi Jinping will be given a third term to serve for the next five years.
President Xi, in 2018, abolished the two-term limit, and once he is re-elected, it will mean that he will be the first President to serve a third term.
The 69-year-old currently holds three top positions: General Secretary of the Communist Party, the Head of State and Chairman of China’s Central Military Commission.
Approximately 2,300 delegates will gather in Tiananmen Square’s Great Hall of the People for about a week from October 16 where about 200 of them will be selected to join the party’s central committee in addition to 170 alternate members.
The central committee will elect 25 people to the party’s Politburo and the Politburo will appoint the members of the Politburo standing committee.
As part of preparations for the congress, the government has restricted access to the capital and tightened COVID-19 rules and regulations. Journalists covering the major event will have to remain in a ‘bubble’ at the press centre established by the authorities and undergo a COVID test every day until the end of the congress.
Meanwhile, ahead of the historical meeting, Guyana’s Ambassador to China, Anyin Choo hailed the policies implemented by the Communist Party over the years.
“It must be noted that since the implementation of China’s reform and opening-up policies, every successive Chinese leader including President Xi has continued with policy reforms to ensure that not only does China continue to develop and progress, but also does so while hand in hand with the international community to the benefit of all global citizens for a shared future,” Ambassador Choo was quoted as saying by the Global Times media in China.
According to Global Times, Choo applauded China’s Poverty Alleviation Policy which has seen over 100 million people out of poverty thus far.
“China has achieved a lot in the last decade. Despite its achievements, China has also lived up to its responsibilities as a major power and has championed the causes of many developing countries, making collective voices on global issues to be heard,” the Guyanese diplomat was quoted as saying.
Ambassador Choo believes that China’s governance model and development path can be taken on board by many developing countries, noting that the country has been innovative and wise in creating its governance and economic systems.
With 50 years of diplomatic relations between Guyana and China, Choo emphasised that China’s increasing investments in recent years have contributed to the growth in trade, employment, and socio-economic development of Guyana.
The bilateral trade volume of goods between the two countries has increased by 213% in the past five years, with an average annual growth rate of more than 42.5%.
