Xi Jinping Sets Stage To Resurrect ‘Chairman’ Title Created By Mao (FT)

An intensifying purge of disloyal Chinese Communist party law and order officials is setting the stage for President Xi Jinping to be named party chairman and hold on to power beyond his second term, experts have warned. The anti-corruption campaign launched last month to target the party's legal and domestic security apparatus kicked into a higher gear last week when the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection announced a probe into Gong Daoan, the Shanghai police chief and the highest-ranking official to fall since Mr Xi's second term began in 2017. Officials have signalled the importance of the campaign by insisting it must channel the spirit of the "Yan'an rectification movement" launched by Mao Zedong in 1941, the first big purge in the party's history. Mao's push for ideological purity was a pivotal moment for the revolutionary leader. It allowed him to clear out political rivals and consolidate control, as well as to be officially appointed party chairman in 1945. The title has not been used for decades.

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