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Xi Jinping: China's president 'to get own political theory' China's Xi Jinping consolidates power with new ideology
(about 17 hours later)
Chinese president Xi Jinping is to be given his own political theory, according to state news agency Xinhua. China's President Xi Jinping has created his own political ideology, in a step towards entrenching his position at the top of the Communist Party.
It will be known as "Xi Jinping Thought" and has 14 principles, the agency says. Top officials have made multiple mentions of "Xi Jinping Thought" at the Communist Party Congress.
The theory is likely to be incorporated into the constitution of the ruling Communist Party, which would strengthen Xi Jinping's position at the top. The party is widely expected to rewrite its constitution to enshrine this theory before congress ends next week.
He would be the first leader to lend his name to a political theory since Deng Xiaoping, who retired in 1989. The move would elevate him to the level of previous leaders Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping.
The only other leader to do so was Mao Zedong. Correspondents say it would signal Mr Xi's enormous authority within the party, and make it virtually impossible for others to challenge him.
Profile: China's President Xi Jinping Mr Xi opened the Communist Party congress - which determines who rules China and the country's direction for the next term - in a three hour speech on Wednesday.
Xinhua says the Communist Party of China has created "Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era". On Thursday, numerous senior party officials praised "Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese characteristics for a new era" in state media reports, and said it was "the latest achievement in adapting Marxism to the Chinese context".
The report appeared in English but has yet to be confirmed in Chinese-language state media. Start of the Xi Jinping era?
It quotes senior party officials such as Zhang Dejiang who said "the thought is the biggest highlight of the 19th National Congress" and a "historic contribution to the Party's development". Carrie Gracie, BBC News, China editor
The BBC's China Editor Carrie Gracie says it is very unlikely that they would make these comments, or that these comments would be reported in Xinhua, without representing the authoritative view of the party. China's politics are secretive and coded, but when the members of the Communist Party's Politburo Standing Committee all start using the same phrase at their party congress, it's clear something big is coming.
But the remote possibility does still exist that Xi Jinping Thought will not be in the constitutional amendments, our correspondent adds. At panel groups to discuss Xi Jinping's keynote speech, top leaders carefully echoed the unwieldy phrase "Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese characteristics for a new era". And the phrase is also now prominent in official media.
Symbolism over substance? Both are strong signals that Xi Jinping will achieve what predecessors have failed to do for 20 years - he will officially join the pantheon of China's transformative leaders by getting his name written into the party constitution at the close of congress next week.
By Michael Bristow, BBC News If the first three decades since the communist revolution formed the Mao Zedong era, and the second chapter was the Deng Xiaoping era, China is now on the brink of declaring this the Xi Jinping era.
As yet, we have only have a vague sense of what "Xi Jinping Thought" is all about. Previous Chinese leaders have come up with their own political ideologies which have been incorporated into the party's constitution or thinking. How these ideologies are named reflects on the leaders' importance in the party.
Xinhua describes it as socialism with Chinese characteristics for a new era: a nice slogan but hard to pin down. None, besides party founder Mao Zedong, have had their ideology described as "thought", which is at the top of the hierarchy, and only Mao and Deng Xiaoping have had their names attached to their ideologies.
In some respects, the fundamentals of the new theory are unimportant. Attaching Xi Jinping's name to a political philosophy is as much about symbolism as substance. "Xi Jinping Thought" has 14 main principles which emphasise Communist ideals and also:
The two previous Chinese leaders had their theories - Hu Jintao was known for his "scientific outlook on development" and Jiang Zemin had "the theory of three represents". Since taking power in 2012, Mr Xi has been taking steps to cement his top position in the party and in wider Chinese society, leading some to accuse him of creating a Mao-like cult of personality.
It would have been odd if Xi Jinping had not got his own. These steps have included a wide-reaching corruption crackdown that has seen high-ranking officials jailed or arrested. Some believe it is a political purge, but Mr Xi previously denied claims there was a "power struggle".
But Mr Xi appears to have gone further than his two immediate predecessors. Neither Mr Hu nor Mr Jiang had their names linked to their theories. However, on Thursday, senior official Liu Shiyu said a number of those caught up in the crackdown were arrested because they had tried to stage a coup against Mr Xi.
That privilege has previously gone only to Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping, communist China's two most revered leaders. Does this mean Mr Xi's power now rivals theirs? He named top cadres Bo Xilai, Zhou Yongkang and Sun Zhengcai as among a group of "hugely corrupt" high-ranking officials who "plotted to usurp the party's leadership and seize state power".
Formally, "Xi Jinping Thought" still needs to be approved at the Communist Party congress before it is incorporated into the party's constitution. The congress, which takes place once every five years, will finish next Tuesday.
The congress, which takes place once every five years, will finish on Tuesday. More than 2,000 delegates are attending the event, which is taking place under tight security. More than 2,000 delegates are attending the event, which is taking place under tight security.