The Communist Party has proposed revising the constitution to abolish term limits on the presidency. According to Bloomberg, this would let Xi Jinping stay in office after his second five-year term of presidency ends in 2023.
The party's Central Committee proposed to remove an expression in the constitution saying that China's president “shall serve no more than two consecutive terms.”
The move to amend the constitution was surprising as it represents a clear break from the practice of succession established to create stability.
Xi Jinping became president in 2013. According to The New York Times, the announcement amazed even experienced observers of Chinese politics. Xi Jinping completes his first term as president in March and could have waited until the end of his second term before taking such action.
