context: The amendment will give legal power to the National Supervision Commission, the new anti-corruption superagency. There is also speculation that Article 79’s two-term limit on the Presidency may be removed to allow Xi to stay on as President after his term would otherwise expire in March 2023.
The CCP Central Committee second plenum in late January 2018 adopted a proposal to revise the state constitution, reports Xinhua. It is expected to be passed at the March 2018 NPC meeting. According to the communique issued after the plenum, highlights of the amendment include
- Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era is a guideline that the Party and state will uphold in the long run
- leadership of the Party must be strengthened and upheld in all areas
- the five-sphere integrated plan, which promotes coordinated economic, political, cultural, social and ecological advancement, and a new vision of innovative, coordinated, green and open development for everyone, are vital for national rejuvenation
- the goals of finishing the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects by 2020, basically realizing socialist modernization by 2035, and building China into a great modern socialist country by the middle of the 21st century, are also emphasized
- following the path of peaceful development, pursuing a mutually beneficial strategy of opening up, and promoting the building of a community with a shared future for mankind are of great significance to the cause of peaceful development for humanity
- reform to establish a national supervisory system, under the Party's leadership and covering all who exercise public power, is a significant political system reform and a major decision to strengthen the self-supervision of the Party and state