Being immortal: inside Xi Jinping’s power play to reach the same status as Mao Zedong

Communist Party chief Xi Jinping could see his name enshrined in the party’s theoretical pantheon this autumn, sources say, with an eponymous ideological “banner term” likely to be written into the party’s constitution at its national congress.

Such a move would place Xi on a par with late leaders Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping, and analysts said that would speak volumes about his consolidation of power.

However, with the party’s 19th national congress still more than half a year away, giving time for possible resistance and intense horse-trading within the top echelon of power, they said it was too early to say Xi would definitely be put alongside Mao, the founding father of communist China, and Deng, who transformed and opened up the country’s economy. The party congress will mark the end of Xi’s first five-year term in power and see a major reshuffle of the party’s top leadership.

In a symbolic practice formally recognising their ideological contribution and standing within the party, every key Chinese leader since 1949, from Mao to Deng, Jiang Zemin and Hu Jintao, has had their political theory written into the party constitution at a national congress, adding to the party’s ever-expanding “guiding ideology”.

Bo Zhiyue, an expert on party politics, said ideological power was one of three key powers that had to be acquired to become an undisputed leader, with the other two being power over personnel and the military.