What the Xi Jinping Historic Third Term Means for Japan

A photo of Xi Jinping standing in front of the Chinese flag.

Jagannath P. Panda

Commentaries and Op-eds November, 2022

Read full text

Introduction:

Coverage of the 20^th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) that took place from October 16-22, 2022 in Beijing has turned the focus onto the absolute authority of Xi Jinping as president of the Chinese Communist Party.

As Xi Jinping begins a historic third term in office, Tokyo’s strategic calculus anticipates stronger Chinese foreign policy actions, especially given signals that he intends to run for a fourth or fifth term. Xi’s “personally vetting” and hand-selecting members of the Politburo Standing Committee reinforces this prospect, as does his declining to select a successor once more.

You can find the full article on JAPAN Forward’s website. This article is part of the [Asia’s Next Page] series on JAPAN Forward. Find other articles in the series by Dr. Jagannath Panda, here.

Related Publications

Taiwan: Tokyo’s New Ally?

Jagannath P. Panda

In December 2022, the back-to-back visits by senior Japanese lawmakers, Koichi Hagiuda, Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Policy Research Council chairman, and Hiroshige Seko, the upper house secretary general […]

Journal Article March, 2023, Vanguardia Dossier, no. 87, April-June 2023, pp. 62-66.
Japan’s National Security Strategy: On Road to Upending Post-War Pacifism?

Jagannath P. Panda and Daisuke Akimoto

Late in 2022, Japan’s ruling government, led by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, endorsed the makings of a pioneering national security policy. It is one that aligns with former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe‘s goal to […]

Commentaries and Op-eds February, 2023
Will Yoon’s Indo-Pacific Strategy Tackle the China Threat?

Jagannath P. Panda and Mitch Shin

In late-December 2022, South Korea under the relatively new presidency of Yoon Suk-yeol effectively concluded its policy shift from “strategic ambiguity” by releasing the “Strategy for a Free, Peaceful, and […]

Commentaries and Op-eds January, 2023
Seoul’s Geopolitical Code on Quad: Imperative or Elective?

Jagannath P. Panda

Abstract: Under the new government helmed by President Yoon Suk-yeol, South Korea (ROK) has displayed a clear tilt toward and a more open embrace of the Indo- Pacific concept. Interestingly, […]

Journal Article November, 2022, Journal of Indo-Pacific Affairs, Air University Press
The Dangers of a Stagnant China: The Necessity of Awkward Coexistence

Stephen R. Nagy

Abstract: In the build-up to the 20th Party Congress, a series of essays emerged focusing on Xi Jinping cementing a third term as General Secretary of the Communist Party of […]

Focus Asia November, 2022
The Essence of Xi Jinping’s 20th National Congress Report

Jagannath P. Panda

This article was originally posted on The National Interest’s website, you can find the article here. Xi’s power-adulterated vision that has already dented economic and political party-state institutional authority […]

Commentaries and Op-eds October, 2022