Asian Angle | What an unlimited Xi presidency means for China’s neighbours

Scrapping the two-term limit on the Chinese presidency will have profound ramifications for the region. While Asia may have to accept a more assertive China is here to stay, most countries have reasons for cautious optimism

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Xi Jinping looks set for a third term as China’s president. Photo: Xinhua

Published: 12:00pm, 3 Mar 2018Updated: 5:53pm, 6 Mar 2018

A highlight of China’s biggest political meeting of the year – this month’s “Two Sessions” – will almost certainly be the slew of constitutional amendments proposed by the Communist Party to the country’s legislature, the National People’s Congress.

Among these, the one that by far has gained the most overseas attention is the plan to scrap the two-term limit on the presidency.

To the unseasoned observer, this might appear little beyond an organisational change in China’s domestic politics but it will have profound ramifications for the region and beyond.

Under the prevailing political climate in China, scrapping presidential term limits implies an enduring tenure for President Xi Jinping, who otherwise would have had to stand down in five years’ time. Likewise, the move almost certainly entails extensions for the foreign and economic policies China has adopted under Xi.

That brings reason for cautious optimism regarding the usually tense situation surrounding North Korea. For when dealing with the most protracted issue – Pyongyang’s repeated attempts at developing nuclear weapons – China has under Xi demonstrated flexibility in its foreign policy by taking concrete actions to enforce some of the UN Security Council resolutions sanctioning the Kim regime.