Signs of Xi Jinping’s Emperor Dream

On Thursday, China wrapped up one of the most important political meetings of the year, the fifth plenary session. The meeting highlights the party leaders’ top goals, and this time the goal in question is a 15-year plan called vision 2035. Ben Hillman, a political scientist at Australian National University, told the BBC that the plan has “prompted speculation that Xi intends to lead China through this period, becoming, essentially, president-for-life”. China’s law used to limit the leader to two terms, but in 2018, Xi removed the limit, which technically allows him to stay in power as long as he wishes.