Power grab means China is vulnerable to one man's whims

A foreign journalist carrying a magazine with Chinese President Xi Jinping on its front cover outside Beijing's Great Hall of the People. PHOTO: EPA-EFE
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Sometimes an announcement succeeds in being both unsurprising and shocking. It had long been evident that China's Xi Jinping would not - indeed, could not - step down from power.

He has made too many enemies, particularly through his anti-corruption campaign, even if he wanted to go, which seems unlikely.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Sunday Times on March 04, 2018, with the headline Power grab means China is vulnerable to one man's whims. Subscribe