Xi Jinping Intensifies Secret Purges to Cement Lifelong Rule in China

Chinese President Xi Jinping has embarked on an unprecedented secretive purge campaign reminiscent of 20th-century communist dictators like Stalin and Mao. Now in his 14th year in power, Xi has abolished historical term limits designed to prevent dictatorship and launched a sweeping crackdown that has removed dozens of senior officials, including close allies. Since starting his third term in 2022, three Politburo members have been ousted within six months, marking the largest purge at this level since 1976, alongside dismissals of key ministers in defense, foreign affairs, and agriculture, according to a Wall Street Journal report.

While avoiding mass terror or public street violence, Xi has dramatically increased party regulations and disciplinary actions, punishing about one million Communist Party members in the past year through an expanded Central Commission for Discipline Inspection. This body conducts nationwide inspections to enforce absolute loyalty to Xi. Official data reveal that the current administration has enacted far more internal laws and behavioral rules than previous leaders Deng Xiaoping, Jiang Zemin, and Hu Jintao. Xi has revived Mao-era practices requiring annual self-criticism sessions among Politburo members to demonstrate loyalty.

Experts note differences from Stalin’s purges, emphasizing that Xi’s campaign lacks physical executions but relies heavily on social control mechanisms encouraging citizens to monitor and report on each other. After consolidating economic and security decision-making, Xi has isolated himself from external criticism, sidelining international experts and lower-level input in policy planning. His trusted premier, Li Keqiang, now tightly controls the drafting of China’s latest five-year plan, despite warnings that China must boost domestic consumption to combat persistent deflation.

Xi removed presidential term limits and retirement norms, positioning himself for a fourth party term in 2027 and presidency in 2028. To prevent rivals, he has delegated authority only to a small group of loyalists in their late 60s and 70s, considered too old to challenge him. Key figures include Premier Li Keqiang, Vice Premier Hu Chunhua, and Chief of Staff Cai Qi. The absence of a clear succession plan and promotion of older loyalists risks historical instability, as seen after Stalin’s and Mao’s deaths.

To legitimize his grip, Xi promotes himself as the greatest communist theorist of his generation, embedding "Xi Jinping Thought" into the constitution alongside Mao’s ideology. Party members must study his doctrine regularly. State media has revived the title "People’s Leader" for Xi, echoing Mao’s historic designation. Senior fellow Guoguang Wu of the Asia Society Policy Institute summarized, "Whether Stalin, Mao, or Xi, all act with cold rationality to consolidate power, showing no mercy or emotion in their calculations."