CHINESE PREZ DIGS IN HIS HEELS DESPITE MOUNTING SETBACKS

Lam predicted Xi likely would not seek to reign beyond a fourth five-year term, although at that time he might remain a power behind the throne by retaining the chairmanship of the allimportant Central Military Commission.

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For the first ten years of his authoritarian rule over China, Chairman Xi Jinping could do no wrong. His popularity and position of strength allowed him to overturn recent conventions by securing a third term in power and placing acolytes in upper echelons of authority. However, the sheen is starting to fade as the harsh realities of economic struggles and international repercussions begin to take hold.

Willy Wo-Lap Lam, author of "Xi Jinping: The Hidden Agendas of China's Ruler for Life" and a Senior Fellow at The Jamestown Foundation think-tank in the USA, held a seminar on January 22 to explore Xi's legacy. Lam assessed Xi's self-perception, stating that Xi considers himself the most significant or second most significant leader in the Communist Party's history, even surpassing Deng Xiaoping's contributions. Lam likened Xi's self-view to that of the 21st-century Mao Zedong.