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WORLD NEWS Tuesday 27 February 2018

Specter of one-man rule looms as China lifts Xi's term limit

By CHRIS BODEEN a retired political scientist
BEIJING (AP) — For some who formerly taught at Bei-
Chinese, their feelings jing's Renmin University.
about plans to lift term limits A retired Beijing railroad
to allow President Xi Jinping worker, who gave only his
to rule indefinitely can be surname, Liu, said he ap-
represented best by a cud- proved of Xi's performance
dly stuffed bear. over his first five years in of-
Social media users shared fice and voiced no objec-
images of Winnie the Pooh tion to the lifting of term
hugging a jar of honey limits. "As the leader, he has
along with the quote, "Find done pretty well in terms
the thing you love and stick of reform and economic
with it." growth," said Liu, 67. "In for-
The Disney bear's image eign policy, he also did a
has often been compared good job by taking tough
to Xi, prompting periodic positions in the face of
blocks on the use of Pooh provocations from the U.S."
pictures online. Xi has made robust diplo-
Other online commenters macy and a muscular mili-
wrote, "Attention, the ve- tary posture in the South
hicle is reversing" — an au- China Sea and elsewhere
tomated announcement a hallmark of his rule and
used by Chinese delivery Chinese President Xi Jinping, third from left, waves near Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, third from more can be expected,
vehicles — suggesting that right, as they walk in with other members of the Chinese Politburo Beijing's at the Great Hall of the experts said.
China is returning to the era People. On a proposal made public Sunday, Feb. 25, 2018, China's ruling Communist Party pro- In terms of trade relations
poses removing a limit of two consecutive terms for the president and vice president.
of former dictator Mao Ze- (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan) with the U.S., entrenched
dong or even imperial rule. differences between the
Analysts say the ruling Chi- is limited to two five-year agenda of fighting corrup- may simply wish to retain world's No. 1 and No. 2
nese Communist Party's terms in office, but Xi — al- tion, eliminating poverty near-absolute power for as economies will likely re-
move to enable Xi to stay ready China's most power- and transforming China long as possible. main, said James Zimmer-
in power indefinitely will en- ful leader since Mao — ap- into a modern leading na- "It is most likely that it will man, former chairman of
sure some degree of politi- pears to want additional tion by mid-century. turn into a post of lifelong the American Chamber of
cal stability while also reviv- terms to see through his Or, some speculated, he tenure," said Zhang Ming, Commerce in China.q
ing the specter of a return
to one-man rule.
In a sign of the leadership's Seoul:
sensitivities, Chinese cen-
sors moved quickly Mon- US should lower threshold for talks with North
day to remove satirical on-
line commentary about the
development. SEOUL, South Korea (AP) Winter Olympics on Sun- message today, that it is South Korean president's of-
A day after the party an- — South Korea's president day. willing to hold talks, repre- fice. The North Korean del-
nounced a proposed con- said Monday that the According to his office, sents the first steps along egation met with Moon's
stitutional amendment United States should lower Moon asked for China's the path to denucleariza- national security chief on
ending term limits, internet the threshold for talks with support for U.S.-North Korea tion," the White House said Monday. Moon's office said
users found it difficult to sig- North Korea and that the talks, and Liu responded in a statement. Moon met the two sides agreed that
nal approval or disapproval two countries should start a that China would help facil- Sunday with a North Kore- the Olympics had been a
by changing their profiles. dialogue soon. itate them. Moon also said an delegation led by Kim meaningful stepping stone
Key search topics such as President Moon Jae-in that North Korea should Yong Chol, a former gen- toward restoring inter-Ko-
"serve another term" were made the remarks in a show a commitment to de- eral whom South Korea has rean ties, and to continue
censored. meeting with Chinese Vice nuclearization, something it accused of being behind to collaborate to seek a
The country's rubber-stamp Premier Liu Yandong one has refused to do. two attacks on the South permanent peace on the
parliament, the National day after a senior North Ko- Earlier, the U.S. said the that killed 50 people in 2010. Korean Peninsula. South
People's Congress, is all but rean official told Moon that international community Kim told Moon that North Korean protesters burned a
certain to pass the amend- his country is willing to open needs to maintain maxi- Korean leader Kim Jong North Korean flag and used
ment when it meets for its talks with the United States. mum pressure on North Ko- Un wanted to improve ties a knife to slash a portrait of
annual session early next The officials were in South rea until it gives up its nucle- with Washington and had Kim Jong Un near a hotel
month. Under the 1982 Korea for the closing cere- ar weapons development. "ample intentions of hold- where the North Korean
constitution, the president mony of the Pyeongchang "We will see if Pyongyang's ing talks," according to the delegation was staying.q