China
China Communist Party Congress: Xi defends 'Zero-Covid' policy; condemns 'interference' in Taiwan
Chinese President Xi Jinping heaped praises on the Communist Party's rule as he opened the five-yearly Congress attended by selected delegates who are likely to affirm his third term as the party's chief, media reports said.
He said China has established control over Hong Kong, turning it from chaos to governance, and condemned the external support to Taiwan, calling it interference.
China had imposed sweeping national security law to muzzle pro-democracy demonstrations in 2019.
Beijing claims control over self-governed Taiwan, which considers itself separate from the mainland.
Beijing had "demonstrated resolve and ability to safeguard China's sovereignty…and to oppose Taiwan independence", he said addressing the Communist Party delegates at Beijing's Great Hall of the People, according to BBC.
As the delegates broke into applause, he vowed a "major struggle against separatism and interference" in the self-ruled island of Taiwan.
Xi also defended the lingering Covid lockdowns, saying that the Zero-Covid policy was an "all-out people's war to stop the spread of the virus", he said.
He asserted that the policies had "protected people's safety and health to the highest degree and achieved significant positive results".
The intermittent lockdowns and travel restrictions have evoked anger and taken a heavy toll on the Chinese people and the economy.
He maintained that Covid policies, which are still imposing heavy curbs on people's lives, were for their safety.
Xi also made references to disturbances within the party and said his rule had "removed serious hidden dangers in the party".
"We have waged a battle against corruption on a scale unprecedented in history, punishing corrupt officials of all types," he said.
However, critics have called it political cleansing, an exercise to eliminate Xi's rivals and increase the power of his faction within the party.
Xi's way to becoming the most powerful leader since Mao Zedong will be open once he gets a third term as leader of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
About 2,300 delegates are meeting to elect party leaders and debate key policies.
Observers have said that there appears to be only one faction in the 20th Party Congress -- that of Xi, said the BBC report.
In a clear sign of this consolidation of power, top Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leaders released a communiqué days earlier endorsing him as "the core" of the party and leadership, according to the BBC report, which added that the leaders also called for the party to unite even more closely behind him.
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