Say Hello to Chairman Xi

The People’s Liberation Army celebrated its 90th anniversary in fine form on Sunday, with an impressive military parade designed to show off China’s newest weaponry. But it was Chinese President Xi Jinping who stole the show, appearing in camouflage uniform to bolster his image as commander in chief and deliver a not-so-subtle message about the party’s control over the military. The New York Times:

Wearing his mottled green uniform as commander in chief of the People’s Liberation Army, Mr. Xi watched as 12,000 troops marched and tanks, long-range missile launchers, jet fighters and other new weapons drove or flew past in impeccable arrays.

Mao famously said political power comes from the barrel of a gun, and Mr. Xi signaled that he, too, was counting on the military to stay ramrod loyal while he chooses a new leading lineup to be unveiled at a Communist Party congress in the autumn.

“Troops across the entire military, you must be unwavering in upholding the bedrock principle of absolute party leadership of the military,” Mr. Xi said at the parade, held on a dusty training base in Inner Mongolia region, 270 miles northwest of Beijing. “Always obey and follow the party. Go and fight wherever the party points.”

The audience cannot have missed Xi’s message: the Chinese military should stay firmly under the thumb of the party, and by extension under the thumb of Xi himself. That has not always been the case; China has a complicated history of civil-military relations, with the powerful PLA leadership often acting independently from party leaders. But after purging dozens of top officers and implementing controversial military reforms, Xi has clearly consolidated his control, and wants the top brass to understand that his authority shall not be questioned.

Sunday’s spectacle was only the latest display of political theater designed to strengthen Xi’s standing ahead of this fall’s Party Congress. During his visit to Hong Kong last month, Xi similarly presided over a display of military might while warning the city’s independence activists against challenging Chinese authority. On that occasion, Chinese troops first began referring to Xi as “Chairman” rather than “Commander”—a rhetorical tribute to Xi’s authority over the Central Military Commission and a significant callback to Mao Zedong’s title, which was repeated during Sunday’s parade.

Meanwhile, Chinese state media have been carefully preparing the public for Xi to assume even greater authority, with coverage sometimes hinting at a cult of personality. A recent editorial in the influential Study Times, for instance, offers a hagiographic treatment of Xi’s record, singing his praises for his ideological devotion to the party and his shrewd leadership as President, including his anti-corruption drive and his personal involvement in the South China Sea. Experts expect more of these laudatory personal tributes in the months to come, as Xi seeks to carefully cultivate his public image ahead of the Party Congress.

As for the Party Congress itself, the date is still not set, and it is impossible to know exactly who will be elevated to the Politburo and its Standing Committee. But recent events suggest that Xi is already pulling the strings to ensure that his loyalists get promoted. Until recently, Sun Zhengcai, a popular party secretary linked to Hu Jintao, was expected to be promoted to a top national post—but then he was suddenly ensnared by Xi’s anti-corruption drive, clearing the way for a Xi protege to replace him.  The unexpected incident is already being read as a sign that Xi will get exactly what he wants at the Party Congress.

In short, then, Xi Jinping has consolidated control over the military, begun a personalized campaign of self-promotion in the media, and is stacking the deck to elevate his loyalists within the party’s top leadership. Xi has long harbored ambitions to be China’s most consequential ruler in decades—and judging by the events of recent weeks, he may be closer to that goal than ever before.

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