China has never been confused with democracy, but its president was elected by Communist Party High command. President Xi’s second and last term was to end in 2023, but recent changes announced by Beijing will keep him president independently. This is a great change.
We can now make a list of leaders around the world who fear no Challenge from a position, the first reinforcement of democracy. President Putin who came to power after Yelstin as a perfectly Democratic president but is not quite a promoter of western-style democracy. Egypt’s Abdul Satta Sisi also joins the rank. Tayyip of Turkey also has no pretensions. Authoritarianism is quite apparent in Poland and Hungary.
The fall of Soviet Union encourage democracy greatly in old Western European fashion. Globalization was promoted by commercial interests of the Western World. Free trade was and still is widely preached. But democracy is not a one-size-fits-all concept.
The history of a country besides the shape of its political system decides the nature of its democracy. Nationalism binds people. Borders and protectionism were the most important issues that elected Donald Trump to US Presidency and Hillary Clinton totally missed Sentiments of a great people.
What is wrong with democracy?
Chinese president must have learned a lesson from the rise and the fall of Soviet Union. Last Soviet President Gorbachev wanted to experiment with democracy in Soviet Union. And look at what happened to a superpower that could stand up to America.
Soviet Union turn into many countries, fragmented their pride, hurt and chaos ruling the country. Russia had a history of authority of Czar’s rule for so long. Hence Soviet Union survived 1989 fall. But Putin and his style suits motherland of Russia best.
For Chinese president this was a lesson lesson, but adjusting with history and culture of China. He had ended a pretension of collective and term-limited leadership. It does not suit the history and culture of China. Each country has its own insecurities and anxieties.
Mr. Xi’s leadership of a country that has suffered great humiliations with rise of colonial rules over China pre industrialization era. And he believes that stability alone will provide China to road to become a world power.
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