China’s Xi signals a new political style

The CCP, Xi declared, "has rallied and led the people, it made great efforts and turned the poor and backward China into a new China, ever closer to the goal of national prosperity and strength." 

Arguing that the CCP can't rest on its laurels, Xi pointed to the many challenges facing the party, especially graft and corruption, the growing isolation from the people and bureaucratism.

"Our responsibility is to work with all comrades in the party, to make sure the party supervises its own conduct and enforces strict discipline", Xi said in an attempt to reassure Chinese people that the party will not be above the law. Whether he can deliver on the promise or not, he was pressing the right buttons.

To the rest of the world, Xi's message was a simple one. "China needs to know more about the world; and the world also needs to know more about China". He asked the international press to facilitate greater mutual understanding between China and the world.

Xi had no interest in projecting either victimhood or defiance of the world to please nationalists at home. He was underlining the fact that China needs the world to prosper and the world needs China to move forward. What better basis could there be for Beijing's international engagement under a new leader?

 (C. Raja Mohan is a Distinguished Fellow at the Observer Research Foundation, Delhi and a Contributing Editor for The Indian Express.)

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