Willie R. Tubbs, FISM News
On Thursday, the Chinese government resolved that President Xi Jinping shared the same historical significance as the nation’s founder.
As reported by The Guardian, the government of China issued a declaration officially praising Xi for his leadership. The government has made such a resolution only twice before.
The nation recognized Mao Zedong, the father of Communist China, in 1945 and Deng Xiaoping, Zedong’s successor, in 1981.
The most recent resolution was made in conjunction with the 100-year anniversary of the founding of the Chinese Communist Party.
According to The Guardian, the resolution officially cites Xi for “historic achievements” and leading China to “a historic transformation”; it also lauds Xi, Mao and Deng for aiding “the tremendous transformation from standing up and growing prosperous to becoming strong”.
The BBC quotes party official Qu Qingshan as having said, “Just like the previous two resolutions, [this resolution] will play an important role in helping to unite the theory, will and action of the party – to achieve future progress and in realizing the second centenary goal and the great Chinese dream of rejuvenation.”
While the Chinese Communist Party has portrayed the resolution as a means of unifying the Chinese people around a shared history, both The Guardian and BBC cite experts who say the move was meant to ensure Xi’s political future and solidify his control of the country.
Stateside, at least one U.S. Senator reached the same conclusion.
“Xi Jinping continues to rewrite Communist China’s history to consolidate power and insulate himself from internal criticism,” Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) tweeted.
President Joe Biden, who is scheduled to meet with Xi next week, has not yet commented on the resolution nor has Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
The resolution comes in the wake of growing criticism of China’s human rights record. This week, the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum issued a report accusing China of attempting genocide.
Today, Human Rights Watch, long critical of China, called upon the sponsors of the 2022 Beijing Olympics to “explain publicly how they are using their leverage to address human rights abuses in China ahead of the 2022 Beijing Olympic Games”.
At his Friday press conference, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Wenbin was curt in his response to the latest criticism.
“Politicizing sports and fabricating rumors and lies to undermine the Olympic cause will find no support and is doomed to fail,” he said.