THE HINDU Editorial Vocabulary- October 31, 2016- Topic 2
The rise and rise of Xi Jinping
With the new title of ‘core
leader’, President Xi Jinping has
further cemented his authority within the Communist Party of China and the
government. Already the party chief, the head of state, the commander-in-chief
of the military and the one in charge of the group overseeing the change in the
economy, he is now on a par with Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping. This concentration of power in Mr. Xi’s
hands stands in sharp contrast with the ‘collective responsibility’ dictum the
party propagated during the Hu Jintao regime. Mr. Hu was not called a core
leader. From the beginning, Mr. Xi had signalled he would be a leader different
from his immediate predecessor. He gradually emerged as the most influential
leader at least since Deng, and demonstrated his authority by launching a
massive clean-up in the name of fighting corruption, that felled top leaders of
the party and the military. Corruption is a major problem in today’s China. The
high economic growth that followed the reforms initiated by Deng spawned
massive, institutionalised corruption, stoking public anger against the
establishment. Mr. Xi built his war on “corrupt officials” against the backdrop
of such a mood of anger, and his efforts have been generally well-received
despite criticism that he is using the campaign to amass powers to himself. The
party plenum, by appointing Mr. Xi as the core leader, has sent a clear message
to the public that it stands by him and his policies.
The timing of the appointment is
significant. The plenum kicks off year-long preparations for the party congress
next year, which could shake up the leadership. Five of the seven current
members of the Politburo Standing Committee, the inner sanctum of power in
China, and a third of the Politburo’s 18 members are due to retire next year.
Being the core leader, Mr. Xi will be in a stronger position to influence the
outcome of the congress. As in the case of his predecessors, Mr. Xi would
certainly prefer to have the Standing Committee filled with his allies. But
this doesn’t mean that Mr. Xi is guaranteed a second term free of challenges
and of unchecked power. If the Hu Jintao era, despite some allegations of
corruption, is regarded as one of prosperous and peaceful rise for China, Mr.
Xi’s term has been marked by slowing economic growth and geopolitical tensions.
Even if Mr. Xi gathers unprecedented powers in the party and the state, his
tenure will be judged by how he addresses fundamental problems that China
faces, including systemic inequities and foreign policy challenges, while
managing the economic rebalance process.
Vocabulary
Cemented: attach with cement.
Example: Wooden posts were cemented into the ground
Synonyms: stick, bond, fasten, fix, affix, attach, secure, bind, glue, gum, paste
Contrast: differ strikingly.
Example: His friend's success contrasted with his own failure
Synonyms: differ from, be at variance with, be contrary
to, conflict with, go against
Predecessor: a person who held a job or office before the current holder.
Example: The new president's foreign policy is very similar to that of his
predecessor
Synonyms: forerunner, precursor, antecedent
Spawned: (of a fish, frog, mollusk, crustacean, etc.) Release or deposit eggs.
Example: The fish spawn among fine-leaved plants
Stoking: add coal or other solid fuel to (a fire, furnace, or boiler).
Example: On washdays, the tub was filled with cold water using buckets, and a wood
or coal fire was stoked up.
Synonyms: add fuel to, keep burning, tend
Amass: gather together or accumulate (a large amount or number of valuable
material or things) over a period of time.
Example: Starting from nothing he had amassed a huge fortune
Synonyms: gather, collect, assemble, accumulate, aggregate, stockpile
Plenum: a space completely filled with matter, or the whole of space so regarded.
Example: Imagine fracturing a material body such as a piece of wood, regarded as a
plenum full of matter.
Prosperous: successful in material terms; flourishing financially.
Example: Prosperous middle-class professionals
