China’s ruling Communist Party has voted to enshrine Xi Jinping ‘s name and ideology in its constitution, elevating him to the level of founder Mao Zedong.
The unanimous vote to incorporate “Xi Jinping Thought” happened at the end of the Communist Party congress, China’s most important political meeting.
Mr Xi has steadily increased his grip on power since becoming leader in 2012.
This move means that any challenge to Mr Xi will now be seen as a threat to Communist Party rule.
More than 2,000 delegates gathered in Beijing’s Great Hall of the People for the final approval process to enshrine “Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for the New Era” into the Communist Party constitution of China.
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At the end of the process, delegates were asked if they had any objections, to which they responded with loud cries of “none”, reported journalists at the scene.
Previous Chinese Communist Party leaders have had their ideologies incorporated into the party’s constitution or thinking, but none, besides founder Mao Zedong, have had their philosophy described as “thought”, which is at the top of the ideological hierarchy.
Only Mao and Deng Xiaoping have had their names attached to their ideologies – and Deng’s name was only added to the constitution after his death.
Source: BBC
