# General secretaryship of Xi Jinping

* This article is part of a series aboutXi Jinping
Personal
Early life and education
Xi Zhongxun (Father)
General Secretaryship
2012 election as CCP General Secretary
2017 reelection as CCP General Secretary
2022 reelection as CCP General Secretary
New Zhijiang Army
Policies and theories
Belt and Road Initiative
Chinese Dream
Common prosperity
Comprehensively Deepening Reforms
Chinese-style modernization
Dual circulation
Eight Musts
Eight-point Regulation
Foreign policy
Four Comprehensives
Four Confidences
Four Consciousnesses
High-quality development
Holistic security concept
Houses are for living, not for speculation
Major-country diplomacy
New concept for development
New productive forces
Party media takes the party's last name
Targeted Poverty Alleviation
Three red lines
Three Stricts and Three Honests
Two Centenaries
Two Establishes and Two Upholds
Thought
culture
diplomacy
ecological civilization
economy
rule of law
strengthening the military
Personality cult
Wolf warrior diplomacy
Whole-process people's democracy
Key events
Anti-corruption campaign
709 crackdown
Persecution of Uyghurs in China
Xinjiang internment camps
China–US trade war
2019–20 Hong Kong protests
COVID-19 pandemic
response
CCP centenary
Historical resolution
2020–2021 reform spree
2022 Hong Kong visit
2022 COVID-19 protests in China
Diplomatic activities
Xi–Chu meeting
Xi–Ma Meeting
Xi–Kim meetings
2015 Pakistan visit
2015 United States visit
2015 United Kingdom visit
2019 Italy and France visit
CPC and World Political Parties Summit
2023 Russia visit
2024 France, Serbia and Hungary visit
Works
Speech series
The Governance of China
General Secretary Xi Jinping's Kindness We Never Forget
The Hopes of President Xi
Zhijiang Xinyu :
vte :
Xi Jinping succeeded Hu Jintao as General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party in 2012, and later in 2016 was proclaimed the CCP's 4th leadership core, following Mao Zedong, Deng Xiaoping, and Jiang Zemin. Xi Jinping secured an unprecedented third term as CCP General Secretary after the 20th CCP National Congress in 2022.
The name Xi Jinping administration is officially called the "Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as General Secretary" (以习近平同志为总书记的党中央) from 2012 to 2016, and "Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the Core" (以习近平同志为核心的党中央) since 2016.
Xi's political ideas and principles, known as Xi Jinping Thought, have been incorporated into the party and national constitutions. As the central figure of the fifth generation of leadership of the PRC, Xi has centralized institutional power by taking on multiple positions, including new CCP committees on national security, economic and social reforms, military restructuring and modernization, and the Internet. He and the CCP Central Committee passed a historical resolution in November 2021.
His rule is often described as an authoritarian leader by political and academic observers, while his tenure has included an increase of censorship and mass surveillance, deterioration in human rights, including the internment of a million Uyghurs in Xinjiang (which some observers have described as part of a genocide), a cult of personality developing around Xi, and the removal of term limits for the presidency in 2018.
In economic policy, Xi has prioritized poverty alleviation and creating common prosperity to reduce disparities in wealth. Xi's administration seeks to implement common prosperity in part through its education policy, including through drastically curtailing the tutoring industry and reducing homework burdens. Xi continues to emphasize the need for global development, including through the Belt and Road Initiative.
In foreign policy, Xi emphasizes the Community of Common Destiny. He seeks to increase China's ability to shape international norms in emerging policy areas (described as "new frontiers") like space and the internet, where China can position itself as an early entrant. Xi also seeks to increase China's discourse power, which he frames as China's "right to speak."

## Economic policies

Xi Jinping has set three overarching goals for China's economy.$^{:10}$ First, to increase China's capacity for innovation so that it will be able to more actively shape global economic rules.$^{:10}$ Second, to enhance order and security in China's domestic market.$^{:10}$ Third, creating common prosperity and increasing wealth distribution to the poor.$^{:10}$
During the Xi Jinping era, the Chinese government continues to use state-owned enterprises (SOEs) to serve non-market objectives and CCP control of SOEs has increased$^{:138}$ while taking some limited steps towards market liberalization, such as increasing mixed ownership of SOEs.$^{:141}$ Although China has promoted its national champion companies since the Jiang Zemin administration,$^{:158}$ it has done so particularly strongly since 2017, especially in the technology sector.$^{:91}$
Since 2015, the CCP has issued several industrial plans designed to emphasize high-tech innovation and digital development.$^{:135}$ These industrial plans include Made in China 2025, the "Action Outline for Promoting the Development of Big Data", and the "Three-Year Action Plan to Promote the Development of a New Generation of Artificial Intelligence Industry".$^{:135}$ China's Thirteenth and Fourteenth Five-Year Plans have also emphasized high-tech and innovative development.$^{:135}$
During the Xi Jinping administration, China has emphasized an economic strategy of dual circulation.$^{:170}$ First, it seeks to rely more on China's domestic consumers.$^{:160}$ Second, it seeks to innovate more domestically developed technology and thereby reduce China's reliance on western technology.$^{:160}$
By 2020, China became the largest trading partner of more than 120 countries.$^{:228}$ At the end of that year, China signed major free trade agreements with the European Union as well as fifteen different Asia-Pacific countries.$^{:259}$ As of at least 2023, China is the world's largest exporter, a status it has maintained continuously since 2010.$^{:88}$
China's was the only major world economy to experience GDP growth in 2020, when its GDP increased by 2.3%. In 2021, China's GDP growth reached 8.1% (its highest in a decade) and its trade surplus reached an all-time high $687.5 billion.

## Education reform

Xi has implemented a number of education reforms.$^{:155}$ Schools are required to adjust their opening hours to be consistent with work hours in their area so that parents can pick-up their children directly after work (in order to reduce reliance on private classes for adult supervision after school hours).$^{:155}$ Schools must also promote health by requiring outdoor physical education classes daily and providing eye examinations twice per term.$^{:155}$ Educational reforms have also limited the amount of homework students can be assigned.$^{:156}$
As part of Xi's 2021 directive on "double lessening" (reducing excessive off-campus tutoring and reducing homework burdens), schools may not assign homework to children to grades one and two, homework is limited to no more than 60 minutes for children in grades three to six, and no more than 90 minutes for middle school children.$^{:156}$ In July 2021, China enacted a series of rules designed to shutdown the private tutoring sector.$^{:156}$
The government's rationale was that rising educational costs were antithetical to the goals of common prosperity.$^{:67}$ Shutting down private tutoring was intended to narrow the education gap between rich and poor.$^{:5}$ Rules issued in July 2021 prohibits new registration of private tuition tutoring centers and required existing centers to re-organize as non-profits.$^{:156}$ Tuition centers are prohibited from being listed on the stock market or receiving "excessive capital."$^{:156}$ They are no longer permitted to offer tutoring on the weekends or during public holidays.$^{:156}$
Since September 2021, private schools providing compulsory education can no longer be controlled by foreign entities or individuals.$^{:57}$ Only Chinese nationals may serve on their boards of directors.$^{:157}$

## Foreign policy

During the Xi Jinping administration, China seeks to shape international norms and rules in emerging policy areas where China has an advantage as an early participant.$^{:188}$ Xi describes such areas as "new frontiers," and they include policy areas such as space, deep sea, polar regions, the Internet, nuclear safety, anticorruption, and climate change.$^{:188}$
In his effort to build additional institutional capacity for foreign policy coordination, Xi Jinping created the National Security Commission (NSC), which absorbed the NSLG.$^{:180}$ The NSC's focus is holistic national security and it addresses both external and internal security matters.$^{:180}$ Xi introduced the holistic security concept in 2014, which he defined as taking "the security of the people as compass, political security as its roots, economic security as its pillar, military security, cultural security, and cultural security as its protections, and that relies on the promotion of international security."$^{:3}$
During the Xi Jinping era, the Community of Common Destiny has become China's most important foreign relations formulation.$^{:6}$ In his foreign policy discourse, Xi cites the examples of "foreign friends of China" to acknowledge other countries' sacrifices to assist in China's national liberation, particularly with regard to the Second Sino-Japanese war.$^{:42}$ For example, during diplomatic visits to other countries, Xi has praised the contributions of people like Claire Lee Chennault, Norman Bethune, Dawarkanath Kotnis, and Soviet pilots.$^{:42}$
Xi emphasizes his desire to increase China's discourse power in international matters, often characterizing this in terms of China's "right to speak".$^{:103}$
During Xi's administration, China has often extended state-backed loans for energy and infrastructure-building in exchange for natural resources in regions like Central Asia and Africa.$^{:87}$

## Political thought

"Xi Jinping Thought on socialism with Chinese characteristics for a new era" was formally launched at the 19th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party having gradually been developed since 2012, when Xi became General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party.$^{:21–26}$
In his political discourse, Xi incorporates historical examples and themes.$^{:32}$ He describes history as "the best teacher" and "the best textbook".$^{:32}$ Especially since the COVID-19 pandemic, Xi encourages the Chinese people to develop "historical self-confidence".$^{:32}$ Xi includes ancient history in his political discourse, characterizing China as a "splendid civilization" and highlighting its five thousand years of history.$^{:33}$ He often cites the Four Great Inventions as a source of national pride and China's contribution to humanity.$^{:33}$ In his discourse for foreign audiences regarding China's peaceful rise, Xi quotes the Confucian saying, "If you do not want to have it yourself, you should not want to impose it on others."$^{:64}$ In his discourse on the community of shared future, Xi cites the third century scholar Chen Shou's saying that "delicious soup is made by combining different ingredients."$^{:64}$

## Anti-corruption

Upon taking office, Xi vowed to crack down on "tigers and flies", that is, high-level officials and local civil servants alike. Most of the officials investigated were removed from office and faced accusations of bribery and abuse of power, although the range of alleged abuses varied widely. The campaign 'netted' over 120 high-ranking officials, including about a dozen high-ranking military officers, several senior executives of state-owned enterprises, and five national leaders. As of 2023, approximately 2.3 million government officials have been prosecuted.$^{:129}$ The campaign is part of a much wider drive to clean up malfeasance within party ranks and shore up party unity. It has become an emblematic feature of Xi Jinping's political brand.
   We should continue to catch "tigers" as well as "flies" when dealing with cases of leading officials in violation of Party discipline and state laws as well as misconduct and corruption problems that directly affect the people's interests. All are equal before the law and Party discipline; whoever is involved in a corruption case must be thoroughly and impartially investigated.

## Military reform

Reform of China's defense and military structure began after Xi Jinping became the General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party and the Chairman of the Central Military Commission in 2012. Under Xi's administration, China created the CCP National Security Commission and established an air defense identification zone in the East China Sea in 2013. In 2014, Xi told the CCP Politburo that the PLA should operate by integrating multiple services.
The "deepening national defense and military reform" was announced in November 2015 at a plenary session of the Central Military Commission (CMC)'s Central Leading Group for Military Reform. They were expected to be long and extensive that aimed at turning the PLA into a modern military on par with international standards. Before the reforms were announced, Xi said the CMC should directly control the military and new regional commands be created.

## Current members
### Standing Committee

Members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the 20th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party :
| R. | Officeholder | Officeholder | 19th | Birth | PM | Birthplace | Academic feats | Positions |
| 1 | Xi Jinping | 习近平 | Old | 1953 | 1974 | Beijing | Graduate Doctoral degree in Marxist legal studies Undergraduate degree in chemical engineering | Twelve Party offices General Secretary, Central Committee Chairman, National Security Commission of the Central Committee Chairman, Central Comprehensively Deepening Reforms Commission of the Central Committee Head, Central Comprehensively Law-Based Governance Commission Head, Central Financial and Economic Affairs Commission Head, Central Foreign Affairs Commission Head, Central Auditing Committee Head, Central Leading Group for Taiwan Affairs of the Central Committee Military offices Chairman, Central Military Commission Commander-in-chief, Joint Operations Command Center of the Central Military Commission of the People's Liberation Army Head, Leading Group for National Defence and Military Reform of the Central Military Commission State offices President of the People's Republic of China |
| 2 | Li Qiang | 李强 | New | 1959 | 1983 | Zhejiang | Graduate Master's degree in business administration Graduate programme in world economics Graduate programme in engineering management Undergraduate degree in agricultural mechanisation | Fifteen Party offices Director, Central Financial Commission Director, Central Institutional Organisation Commission Deputy Chairman, National Security Commission of the Central Committee Deputy Chairman, Central Comprehensively Deepening Reforms Commission Deputy Head, Central Comprehensively Law-Based Governance Commission Deputy Director, Central Financial and Economic Affairs Commission Deputy Director, Central Foreign Affairs Commission Deputy Director, Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission Deputy Head, Central Integrated Military-Civilian Development Committee Deputy Head, Central Auditing Committee Leader, Central Leading Group for Climate Change and Emissions Reduction Leader, State Council Leading Party Members Group State offices Premier, State Council of China Director, National Defense Mobilization Commission Director, National Energy Commission |
| 3 | Zhao Leji | 赵乐际 | Old | 1957 | 1975 | Qinghai | Graduate Graduate programme in currency and banking Undergraduate degree in philosophy | Four Party offices Leader, Standing Committee of the National People's Congress Party Group Deputy Chairman, National Security Commission of the Central Committee Deputy Head, Central Comprehensively Law-Based Governance Commission State office Chairman, Standing Committee of the National People's Congress |
| 4 | Wang Huning | 王沪宁 | Old | 1955 | 1984 | Shanghai | Graduate Master's degree in Marxist legal studies Graduate programme in international politics Undergraduate degree in French | Eight Organisational office Chairman, National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference Chairman, China Council for the Promotion of Peaceful National Reunification Party office Leader, Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference Party Group Head, Central Coordination Group for Tibet Affairs Head, Central Coordination Group for Xinjiang Affairs Director, Office of the Central Comprehensively Deepening Reforms Commission Deputy Director, Central Comprehensively Deepening Reforms Commission Deputy Head, Central Leading Group for Taiwan Affairs |
| 5 | Cai Qi | 蔡奇 | New | 1955 | 1975 | Fujian | Graduate Doctoral degree in political economy Post-graduate degree in economic law Undergraduate degree in political education | Fifteen Party offices First-ranked secretary, Secretariat of the Central Committee Director, General Office of the Central Committee Director, Office of the General Secretary of the Central Committee Head, Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission Chairman, Central Guidance Commission on Building Spiritual Civilization Leader, Central Leading Group for Propaganda, Ideology and Culture of the Central Committee Leader, Central Leading Group for Party Building of the Central Committee Director, Capital Planning and Construction Commission Director, Party and State Merit and Honor Commendation Working Committee Director, Central Leading Group for Studying and Implementing "Xi Jinping Thought" Theme Education Deputy Chairman, National Security Commission of the Central Committee Deputy Director, Central Comprehensively Deepening Reforms Commission Deputy Director, Central Institutional Organisation Commission Deputy Director, Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission Deputy Head, Central Integrated Military-Civilian Development Committee |
| 6 | Ding Xuexiang | 丁薛祥 | New | 1962 | 1984 | Jiangsu | Graduate Master's degree in science and management Bachelor's degree in engineering | Thirteen Party offices Deputy Leader, State Council Leading Party Members Group Leader, Central Leading Group on Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Head, Air Traffic Control Committee Deputy Head, Central Integrated Military-Civilian Development Committee Director, Office of the Central Integrated Military-Civilian Development Committee State offices First-Ranked Vice Premier of the State Council Head, Food Safety Committee Head, National Greening Committee Head, Central Leading Group for Belt and Road Initiative Construction Head, Central Leading Group for the Development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Head, Central Leading Group for the 3rd Geography Conditions Survey Head, Coordination Group for Promoting Transformation of Government Functions and "Delegation, Regulation, Service" Reform Deputy Director, National Energy Commission |
| 7 | Li Xi | 李希 | New | 1956 | 1982 | Gansu | Graduate Master's degree in economics and management Undergraduate degree in literature | Four Party offices Secretary, Standing Committee of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection Director, Central Leading Group for Inspection Work Director, Central Leading Group for Deepening the Pilot Work on Reform of the National Supervision System Deputy Head, Central Auditing Committee |

### Politburo

Members of the Political Bureau of the 20th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party :
| Officeholder | Officeholder | 19th | Birth | PM | Birthplace | Education | Offices held |
| Cai Qi | 蔡奇 | Old | 1955 | 1975 | Fujian | Graduate | Three Party offices First Secretary, Secretariat of the Central Committee Director, General Office of the Central Committee Director, Office of the General Secretary of the Central Committee |
| Chen Jining | 陈吉宁 | New | 1964 | 1984 | Liaoning | Graduate | One Party office Secretary, Shanghai Municipal Party Committee |
| Chen Min'er | 陈敏尔 | Old | 1960 | 1982 | Zhejiang | Graduate | One Party office Secretary, Tianjin Municipal Party Committee |
| Chen Wenqing | 陈文清 | New | 1960 | 1983 | Sichuan | Graduate | One Party office Secretary, Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission |
| Ding Xuexiang | 丁薛祥 | Old | 1962 | 1984 | Jiangsu | Graduate | One State office First-Ranked Vice Premier of the State Council |
| He Lifeng | 何立峰 | New | 1955 | 1981 | Guangdong | Graduate | Two Party office Director, Office of the Central Financial and Economic Affairs Commission State office Second-Ranked Vice Premier of the State Council |
| He Weidong | 何卫东 | New | 1957 | 1978 | Fujian | Undergraduate | Two Party office Second Vice Chairman, Central Military Commission State office Second Vice Chairman, Central Military Commission |
| Huang Kunming | 黄坤明 | Old | 1956 | 1976 | Fujian | Graduate | One Party office Secretary, Guangdong Provincial Party Committee |
| Li Ganjie | 李干杰 | New | 1964 | 1984 | Hunan | Graduate | One Party office Head, Organization Department of the Central Committee |
| Li Hongzhong | 李鸿忠 | Old | 1956 | 1976 | Shenyang | Graduate | One State office First Vice Chairman, Standing Committee of the National People's Congress |
| Li Qiang | 李强 | Old | 1959 | 1983 | Zhejiang | Graduate | Eight Party offices Director, Central Institutional Organisation Commission Deputy Director, Central Comprehensively Deepening Reforms Commission Deputy Director, Central Financial and Economic Affairs Commission Deputy Director, Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission Deputy Director, Central Foreign Affairs Commission Leader, Central Leading Group for Climate Change and Emissions Reduction Leader, State Council Leading Party Members Group State offices Premier, State Council of the People's Republic of China |
| Li Shulei | 李书磊 | New | 1964 | 1986 | Henan | Graduate | One Party office Head, Publicity Department of the Central Committee |
| Li Xi | 李希 | Old | 1956 | 1982 | Gansu | Graduate | Two Party office Secretary, Standing Committee of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection Director, Central Leading Group for Inspection Work |
| Liu Guozhong | 刘国中 | New | 1962 | 1986 | Heilongjiang | Graduate | One State office Fourth-Ranked Vice Premier of the State Council |
| Ma Xingrui | 马兴瑞 | New | 1959 | 1988 | Heilongjiang | Graduate | One Party office Secretary, Xinjiang Provincial Party Committee |
| Shi Taifeng | 石泰峰 | New | 1956 | 1982 | Shanxi | Graduate | Two Party office Head, United Front Work Department of the Central Committee Organisational office Vice Chairman, National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference |
| Wang Huning | 王沪宁 | Old | 1955 | 1984 | Shanghai | Graduate | One Organisational office Chairman, National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference |
| Wang Yi | 王毅 | New | 1953 | 1981 | Beijing | Graduate | Two Party office Director, Office of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission State office Minister of Foreign Affairs, People's Republic of China |
| Xi Jinping | 习近平 | Old | 1953 | 1974 | Beijing | Graduate | Eleven Party offices General Secretary, Central Committee Chairman, National Security Commission of the Central Committee Chairman, Central Comprehensively Deepening Reforms Commission of the Central Committee Head, Central Leading Group for Taiwan Affairs of the Central Committee Head, Central Leading Group for Financial and Economic Work of the Central Committee Head, Central Leading Group for Network Security and Information Technology of the Central Committee Military offices Chairman, Central Military Commission Commander-in-chief, Joint Operations Command Center of the Central Military Commission of the People's Liberation Army Head, Leading Group for National Defence and Military Reform of the Central Military Commission Head, Office of the Central Integrated Military-Civilian Development Committee State offices President of the People's Republic of China |
| Yin Li | 尹力 | New | 1962 | 1980 | Shandong | Graduate | One Party office Secretary, Beijing City Party Committee |
| Yuan Jiajun | 袁家军 | New | 1962 | 1992 | Jilin | Graduate | One Party office Secretary, Chongqing Municipal Party Committee |
| Zhang Guoqing | 张国清 | New | 1964 | 1984 | Henan | Graduate | One State office Third-Ranked Vice Premier of the State Council |
| Zhang Youxia | 张又侠 | Old | 1950 | 1969 | Beijing | Graduate | Two Party office First Vice Chairman, Central Military Commission State office First Vice Chairman, Central Military Commission |
| Zhao Leji | 赵乐际 | Old | 1957 | 1975 | Shandong | Graduate | One State office Chairman, Standing Committee of the National People's Congress |