World Politics

China’s Communist Party Congress is meeting in Beijing this week, where it is likely to confirm Xi Jinping for a third term as leader. Xi’s absolute control of Chinese politics has drawn comparisons to Mao Zedong – but his government has seen protests, rare in China, against its zero-COVID policy. China’s economy is also struggling due to pandemic restrictions and sanctions from the West. But despite the gathering storm clouds, Xi Jinping has shown no signs of changing his foreign or domestic policies.