Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Sunday called for faster military development and announced no change in policies that have strained relations with Washington and tightened the ruling Communist Party's control over society and the economy.
The party's military wing, the People's Liberation Army, needs to"safeguard China's dignity and core interests," Xi said, referring to a list of territorial claims and other issues over which Beijing says it is ready to go to war.
Analysts are watching whether a slump that saw economic growth fall to below half of the official 5.5% annual target might force Xi to compromise and include supporters of market-style reform and entrepreneurs who generate wealth and jobs.During his decade in power, Xi's government has pursued an increasingly assertive foreign policy while tightening control at home on information and dissent.
The party has tightened control over private sector leaders including e-commerce giant Alibaba Group by launching anti-monopoly, data security and other crackdowns. Under political pressure, they are diverting billions of dollars into chip development and other party initiatives. Their share prices on foreign exchanges have plunged due to uncertainty about their future.
The president appeared to double down on technology self-reliance and"zero COVID" at a time when other countries are easing travel restrictions and rely on more free-flowing supply chains, said Willy Lam, a politics specialist at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Amnesty International warned that extending Xi's time in power will be a"disaster for human rights." In addition to conditions within China, it pointed to Beijing's efforts to"redefine the very meaning of human rights" at the United Nations.
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