Is China the next global leader?
President Xi Jinping sets out long-term vision during Communist Party congress as he seeks to consolidate power.
Who is the most powerful person in the world? Many would say US President Donald Trump. But the international news publication, The Economist, argues it is actually China’s President Xi Jinping.
While Trump focuses on protectionism, Xi is bidding for global leadership on multiple fronts.
Among them: a grand infrastructure plan to link large parts of the world economy; an Asia-focused bank to counter the World Bank; China’s first overseas military base; and a military build-up in the South China Sea.
Analysts say Xi wants to be a transformative leader along the lines of Deng Xiaoping and Mao Zedong. He has eliminated rival power centres in an anti-corruption campaign, and has amassed more personal power than any recent predecessor.
So, what will the latest Communist Party congress reveal about China’s global aspirations as the US turns inward?
Presenter: James Bays
Guests:
Einar Tangen – political and economic affairs analyst
Jabin Jacob – fellow, The Institute of Chinese Studies
Isaac Stone Fish – senior fellow, Asia Society’s Center on US-China Relations