Risks Imposed by Xi Jinping’s Lifetime Presidential Status
2 weeks ago, I wrote about Xi Jinping’s leadership strength in people development as shown on these 3 aspects.
1.Change management
2.The focus on morality and ethic.
3.Chinese professionalism
If we look on the other side of coin, the past Chinese leader especially lifetime leader like Mao Zedong imposes risks. It can be neutrally implied that Xi Jinping’s lifetime presidential status may cause troubles to the world in the future. In the past, Mao Zedong had absolute power and caused 2 major problems to the world.
The first one was economic aspect. His absolute leadership intended to rapidly turn China to be economic superpower especially changing from agriculture to industry. This was called “Great Leap Forward Theory”.
Such policy completely failed. There was a food shortage. Millions of people starved to death. Great Leap Forward Theory totally collapsed as a result of absolute power and dictatorship.
Another policy was Cultural Revolution by Gang of 4. Mao Zedong’s wife was a member of this Gang. When Mao Zedong stayed longer in the position, he felt that several groups of enemy would change the ideology. He wanted to maintain the Communist ideology.
The protesters and opposition were sent for brainwashing in rural areas. Xi Jinping was once sent to have internship in rural areas. He saw several problems. Without Deng Xiaoping’s one country two systems, Mao Zedong s’ absolute leadership made China to lag behind for decades.
The past event can revisit can cause unsolved problems. Absolute power can cause troubles to the world in the future. They can certainly harm the world. They may also have impacts on Thailand because, nowadays, Thailand and China have close relation in economic, tourism and investment.
Xi Jinping’s speech during his entrance to the second presidential term reflected China’s stronger standpoint. China must be military superpower.
No country can do separatism with China. It might impose international politics pressure because China has current South China Sea conflicts especially with the U.S., the Philippines and Vietnam.
The Chinese new generation’s freedom should not be restricted. How can political absolute power, Chinese Gap, economic conflict especially trade barrier and competition be solved?
“These are awful.”
Prof. Dr. Chira Hongladarom
Source: Learning from Reality with Dr. Chira Column. Naewna.
Saturday 24 March 2018, p.5
Please click this link to see pictures.
https://cdn.gotoknow.org/assets/media/files/001/290/255/original_nn_eng_24032018.pdf?1522244634
