World

Xi’s power in China grows after unforeseen rise to dominance

Published

4 years ago

October 14, 2022

FILE - New Communist Party General Secretary Xi Jinping waves in Beijing's Great Hall of the People on Nov. 15, 2012. When Xi Jinping came to power in 2012, it wasn't clear what kind of leader he would be. His low-key persona during a steady rise through the ranks of the Communist Party gave no hint that he would evolve into one of modern China's most dominant leaders, or that he would put the economically and militarily ascendant country on a collision course with the U.S.-led international order. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu, File)

BEIJING (AP) — When Xi Jinping came to power in 2012, it wasn’t clear what kind of leader he would be.

His low-key persona during a steady rise through the ranks of the long-ruling Communist Party gave no hint that he would evolve into one of modern China’s most dominant leaders, or that he would put the economically and militarily ascendant country on a collision course with the U.S.-led international order.

Xi is all but certain to be given a third five-year term as party leader at the end of a major party congress that opens Sunday — a break with an unofficial two-term limit that other recent leaders had followed. What’s not clear is how long he will remain in power, and what that means for China and the world.

“I see Xi having his way at the 20th congress, mostly. It is a question of how much more powerful he will be coming out of it,” said Steve Tsang, director of the China Institute at the London University School of Oriental and African Studies. “He is not coming out looking weaker.”

He has already amassed and centralized power over the past 10 years in ways that far surpass his immediate predecessors, Hu Jintao and Jiang Zemin, and even rival the Communist Party’s two other dominating leaders — Mao Zedong, who led the country until his death in 1976, and Deng Xiaoping, who launched China in 1978 on its rise from poverty to become the world’s second largest economy.

One of Xi’s signature policies has been an anti-corruption campaign that has been popular with the public and conveniently enabled him to sideline potential rivals. A former justice minister and a former deputy public security minister received suspended death sentences last month.

The continuing anti-corruption campaign, Tsang said, shows that “anyone who stands in his way will be crushed.”

Xi, 69, had the right pedigree to climb to the top. He enjoyed a privileged early youth in Beijing as the son of Xi Zhongxun, a former vice premier and guerrilla commander in the civil war that brought Mao’s communists to power in 1949.

His family, though, fell afoul of the capriciousness of Mao’s rule during the anarchy of the 1966-76 Cultural Revolution, which banished intellectuals to the countryside and subjected many to public humiliation and brutal beatings in the name of class struggle.

His father was jailed and Xi, at the age of 15, was sent to live in a poor rural village in Shaanxi province in 1969 as part of Mao’s campaign to have educated urban young people learn from peasants. He lived as villagers did in a hut carved into the area’s cliffs.

The experience is said to have toughened Xi and given him an understanding of the struggles of the rural population. He stayed in the village for six years, until receiving a coveted scholarship to prestigious Tsinghua University in Beijing.

“Knives are sharpened on the stone. People are refined through hardship,” Xi told a Chinese magazine in 2001. “Whenever I later encountered trouble, I’d just think of how hard it had been to get things done back then and nothing would then seem difficult.”

After university, Xi began his climb up the bureaucratic ranks with a three-year stint in the Defense Ministry. He then was made party chief of a county south of Beijing before spending 17 years in Fujian province, starting as vice mayor of the city of Xiamen in 1985 and rising through a series of posts to governor of the province in 2000.

A first marriage fell apart after three years, and in 1987 he married his current wife, Peng Liyuan, a well-known singer and an officer in the People’s Liberation Army’s song and dance troupe. They have one daughter, Xi Mingze, who studied at Harvard University and has no public role in Chinese politics.

Alfred Wu, who covered Xi for Chinese state media in Fujian, remembers him as quiet and low-profile, saying he wasn’t as assertive as he has become as national leader.

“Nowadays, Xi Jinping is totally different from Xi Jinping as a governor,” said Wu, now an associate professor of public policy at the National University of Singapore.

Xi was moved to neighboring Zhejiang province in 2002, where he was party leader for more than four years, the top position outranking the governor. He then briefly was made party secretary in nearby Shanghai in 2007, after his predecessor fell in a corruption scandal.

Over his time in Fujian, Zhejiang and Shanghai, Xi was seen mainly as a pragmatist who didn’t originate bold proposals but generally backed the economic reforms that Deng had initiated and benefited in particular coastal areas such as those three jurisdictions.

He also spoke out against corruption as governor in Fujian after a major smuggling scandal, a hint perhaps of the national crackdown that came after his rise to the top.

Xi was thrust into the national leadership in 2007. That’s when he joined the all-powerful Standing Committee of the Communist Party’s Politburo, a prelude to being named to the top position at the next congress in 2012.

Xi has taken control of economic and military matters and had his name enshrined in the party constitution alongside Mao by adding a reference to his ideology — Xi Jinping Thought.

The ideology is vague but emphasizes reviving the party’s mission as China’s political, economic, social and cultural leader and its central role in achieving the goal of “national rejuvenation,” the restoration of the country to a position of prominence in the world.

His government has increased the role of state industry while launching anti-monopoly and data security crackdowns on high-flying private sector firms including e-commerce giant Alibaba Group and Tencent Holding, the owner of the popular WeChat messaging service.

Xi has also revived a 1950′s propaganda slogan “common prosperity” in a nod to a burgeoning gap between the rich and the poor, though it’s unclear if the government plans any major initiatives to address that.

With the economy sagging from pandemic-era restrictions and a government crackdown on spiraling real estate debt, concern is rising that Xi is engineering a shift away from Deng’s strategy of “reform and opening up” that delivered four decades of growth.

Wu views Xi as a disciple of Mao rebelling against Deng, who allowed the private sector to flourish and sought positive relations with the West. “He’s really anti-U.S. and anti-West,” Wu said.

Xi’s more confrontational approach stems from a belief that now is the time for a stronger China to play a larger role in international affairs and stand up to outside pressure.

Xi has antagonized Japan, India and other Asian neighbors by pressing claims to disputed islands in the South and East China Seas, and territory high up in the Himalayas. He has also ramped up military and diplomatic pressure on Taiwan, the island democracy that the Communist Party says belongs to China.

Relations with the U.S. have tumbled to their lowest level since the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1979, with the Biden administration maintaining tariffs imposed by former President Donald Trump and blocking Chinese access to important American technologies.

If anyone in the party leadership thinks that Xi is leading the country in the wrong direction, though, it’s hard to decipher, given China’s opaque political system and control of the media.

“We have no idea whether people at the very top think Xi Jinping is performing poorly or not,” said Joseph Torigian, a Chinese politics expert at American University in Washington.

Within China, the Communist Party under Xi has increased surveillance, tightened already strict control over speech and media and cracked down further on dissent, censoring even mildly critical views and jailing those it believes went too far.

Authorities have detained an estimated million or more members of predominantly Muslim ethnic groups in China’s Xinjiang region in a harsh anti-extremism campaign that has been labeled genocide by the U.S. In Hong Kong, Xi’s government responded to massive protests with a tough national security law that has eliminated political opposition and altered the once-freewheeling nature of the city.

Xi is facing a challenge to his government’s harsh “zero-COVID” policies, which have taken an economic and human toll. Small groups of residents staged protests during a two-month lockdown in Shanghai earlier this year.

In a rare political protest, someone hung banners from an elevated highway in Beijing this week calling for freedom, not lockdowns, and worker and student strikes to force Xi out. They were quickly removed, police deployed and any mention of the incident speedily wiped from the internet.

The government has stuck with the policy, which earlier was seen as a success as COVID-19 ravaged other parts of the world. Although there is simmering dissatisfaction, particularly as life returns to normal in other parts of the world, most people don’t dare to speak out.

Florida

Civil Rights Group Honors Nobel Peace Prize Winner Navi Pillay, Highlights Florida’s Trayvon Martin Connection

Published

3 weeks ago

October 13, 2026

FNN NEWS

FCRA representatives address reporters beside a “Justice for Trayvon” sign outside Florida’s regional offices in Orlando.

The Florida Civil Rights Association (FCRA) held a press conference outside the State of Florida’s regional offices in Orlando in 2012, calling on then-Gov. Rick Scott to take action following Trayvon Martin’s killing. Photo by FCRA

The Orlando-based civil rights association recalls supporting the former U.N. human rights chief’s 2012 call for an investigation into the teenager’s killing in Sanford.

ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN) — The Florida Civil Rights Association is congratulating 2026 Nobel Peace Prize winner Navanethem “Navi” Pillay, recalling her call for an investigation into Trayvon Martin’s killing and the international attention it brought to questions of racial equality and justice in Florida.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee announced Pillay’s selection Oct. 9 for her efforts to promote peace and international law. The South African jurist served as United Nations high commissioner for human rights from 2008 to 2014 and helped shape landmark international court decisions.

In a press release, FCRA President J. Willie David III said Pillay’s intervention connected a Florida family’s demand for answers to a broader concern for human rights.

“Pillay’s call for an investigation reinforced that a family’s demand for justice in Sanford mattered beyond Florida and the United States,” David said.
“We welcomed her intervention in 2012 because families deserve answers and the law must protect everyone equally.”

UN Human Rights Commissioner Navi Pillay (Photo credit: UN Photo/Jean-Marc Ferre)

FCRA recalls its response in 2012

Martin, an unarmed Black 17-year-old, was fatally shot by neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman on Feb. 26, 2012, in Sanford, northeast of Orlando.

In April 2012, Pillay called for an immediate investigation into the killing as the case drew international attention and scrutiny of Florida’s Stand Your Ground law.

FCRA welcomed that call. The association’s current release cites an April 7, 2012, West Orlando News report that quoted David discussing the case’s global impact.

“The shooting death of Trayvon Martin and Florida’s Stand Your Ground Law have created a worldwide movement that calls into question how justice is delivered to victims of color,” David said at the time, according to the release.

FCRA describes the activism surrounding Martin’s death as a defining moment that galvanized a new generation of civil rights advocates.

Zimmerman was charged with second-degree murder and acquitted in July 2013. In February 2015, the U.S. Justice Department closed its separate investigation, finding insufficient evidence to pursue federal criminal civil rights charges.

Why Florida’s case drew global scrutiny

The Florida connection shows how the handling of a local killing can draw international scrutiny over racial discrimination, access to justice and the protection of human rights.

Pillay’s intervention brought those concerns into the international discussion surrounding Martin’s death. In September 2013, U.N. human rights experts also urged the United States to complete its civil rights investigation and examine concerns about racial profiling.

The significance lies in human rights oversight: how public institutions investigate deaths and provide equal treatment can attract attention beyond national borders. Pillay’s call was an appeal for investigation, rather than an international court judgment about Zimmerman’s guilt or Florida’s compliance with international law.

For FCRA, that connection remains relevant to how Florida leaders evaluate laws and practices affecting the communities they serve.

Pillay’s record in international justice

Pillay challenged discrimination under apartheid before serving on South Africa’s High Court, the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and the International Criminal Court.

At the Rwanda tribunal, she was part of the judicial panel that established that rape and sexual violence can constitute acts of genocide, a landmark development in international criminal law.

David said honoring that career should also encourage accountability at home.

“Her Nobel Peace Prize recognizes a career built on confronting injustice through the rule of law,” he said. “Honoring that work means demanding transparent investigations and equal protection here at home. Rights belong to everyone.”

A renewed call for fairness in Florida

FCRA urged Florida leaders to safeguard impartial investigations, examine whether Stand Your Ground and other laws are applied fairly, and address policies or practices that produce discriminatory outcomes.

Founded in 2005, the association advocates for civil rights, human rights and civil liberties through education, advocacy and accountability. Its statement links Pillay’s international recognition to a continuing demand for fairness and human dignity in Florida.

World

UN Chief Guterres Praises Pakistan’s Peacekeeping, Calls for Climate Funding

Published

4 weeks ago

October 8, 2026

FNN NEWS

Speaking at Pakistan’s Foreign Service Academy, the UN secretary-general praised the country’s humanitarian and diplomatic contributions while calling for financial reforms and inclusive artificial intelligence governance.

ISLAMABAD (FNN) — United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres praised Pakistan’s contributions to peacekeeping, refugee protection and climate action during an Oct. 7 address in Islamabad, urging world leaders to strengthen cooperation as conflicts, inequality and technological change reshape international affairs.

Speaking at the Foreign Service Academy, Guterres highlighted Pakistan’s history of hosting Afghan refugees, its service in UN peacekeeping operations and its efforts to promote dialogue between the United States and Iran, according to a UN release of his remarks.

He identified four major challenges facing international cooperation: peace and security, inequality, climate change and artificial intelligence.

“Today, humanity faces challenges on a scale no nation can solve by itself,” Guterres said.

Pakistan’s peacekeeping and humanitarian contributions

Guterres described Pakistan as a country whose generosity and resilience he had witnessed during his service as UN high commissioner for refugees and secretary-general.

He recalled Pakistani families sharing their homes and limited resources with Afghan refugees, as well as communities supporting people displaced by terrorism.

Pakistani peacekeepers, he said, have served for generations in dangerous environments, protecting civilians and supporting fragile peace processes.

He also praised Pakistan’s role on the UN Security Council and its diplomatic efforts to reduce tensions between Washington and Tehran.

“I commend Pakistan’s efforts to help forge peace between the United States and Iran,” he said.

Climate funding and the legacy of the 2022 floods

Recalling his visit during Pakistan’s devastating 2022 floods, Guterres said the disaster illustrated the unequal burden of climate change.

Pakistan contributes around 1% of global emissions but faces severe climate risks, he said. Millions of people experienced catastrophic losses from a crisis they did little to create.

He described meeting residents who abandoned their possessions to rescue neighbors, children, older adults and people with disabilities.

“In moments of crisis, saving ourselves begins with helping each other,” Guterres said.

He credited Pakistan’s leadership of the Group of 77 and China with helping secure the Loss and Damage Fund, which is intended to assist developing countries facing climate-related losses.

However, he said less than $500 million had been transferred to the fund’s trust fund nearly four years later, compared with an annual global climate disaster bill of about $200 billion.

“A crisis costing billions cannot be answered with funding counted in the millions,” he said.

Guterres also highlighted Pakistan’s solar energy expansion, calling for greater support for renewable energy, resilient infrastructure and climate adaptation.

Debt, development and financial reform

Guterres warned that rising debt burdens and inadequate development financing are limiting opportunities in developing countries.

He called for changes to the international financial system to give those countries greater representation and access to financing for sustainable growth.

“Developing countries should not have to choose between servicing debt and investing in their future,” he said.

Pakistan’s young, entrepreneurial population offers substantial potential, he said, but realizing it requires economic opportunity, respect for human rights, the rule of law and protection of civic space.

Artificial intelligence: Opportunity and risk

Guterres said artificial intelligence could improve health care, education, agriculture and disaster preparedness.

He also warned that AI could deepen inequality, concentrate power, spread disinformation and disrupt employment.

Developing countries must help shape the rules and institutions governing the technology, he said, rather than serve only as consumers of systems developed elsewhere.

“The governance of AI must reflect the interests of all humanity,” Guterres said.

He identified the United Nations as a forum where every country can participate in shaping that future.

Conflict, Gaza and international cooperation

Marking the third anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks, Guterres condemned the attacks and said nothing justified the scale of death and destruction that followed for Palestinians in Gaza.

He warned of the threat of ethnic cleansing in the occupied Palestinian territory and called for full implementation of the Gaza peace plan and preservation of a two-state solution.

More broadly, he said a world with multiple centers of power needs effective international institutions to prevent fragmentation and instability.

He called for a UN-centered system that better reflects today’s distribution of countries, economies and influence.

A closing message of dialogue and mutual respect

Guterres concluded by describing a painting by Pakistani artist Abdur Rahman Chughtai displayed between his personal office and conference room.

The artwork, a gift from Pakistan to the United Nations more than 60 years ago, depicts Mughal Emperor Jehangir and his wife, Nur Jehan.

He said it symbolizes Pakistan’s cultural heritage and the value of wisdom, listening and exchange among civilizations.

“Dialogue, understanding, cooperation — that is the spirit reflected in that magnificent Pakistani painting,” Guterres said.

Source attribution: This article is based on the United Nations release of Secretary-General António Guterres’ Oct. 7, 2026, address to the Foreign Service Academy in Islamabad. All direct quotations are attributed to Guterres.

World

Guterres Marks Third Anniversary of Oct. 7 Attacks With Call for Israeli-Palestinian Peace

Published

4 weeks ago

October 8, 2026

FNN NEWS

The UN secretary-general condemned the 2023 Hamas-led attacks, honored victims and former hostages, and urged an end to Palestinian suffering through a permanent ceasefire and expanded humanitarian assistance.

UNITED NATIONS (FNN) — UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for a permanent ceasefire and expanded humanitarian assistance in Gaza in a message marking the third anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks on Israel.

According to a United Nations press release, Guterres urged all parties to fulfill their commitments and advance to the next phase of the ceasefire under the Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict.

“It is time for the ceasefire to become permanent,” Guterres said. “It is time to allow humanitarian assistance at scale. And it is time to respect international law.”

Remembering victims of the Oct. 7 attacks

Guterres condemned the attacks by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups, which he said killed more than 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals. He said civilians were deliberately targeted in their homes, communities and at a music festival.

A total of 251 people were abducted and taken into Gaza, including women, children and older adults, according to his message.

Guterres said hostages endured torture, sexual violence and other forms of abuse. Some were killed by their captors or during the subsequent hostilities, he said.

“Nothing can justify these atrocities,” Guterres said.

Honoring survivors, former hostages and grieving families

The secretary-general described meetings with Israeli families, survivors and former hostages who shared accounts of lasting physical and emotional trauma.

He expressed relief for those who regained their freedom and reunited with loved ones, while mourning people killed in the attacks and those who died in captivity.

“Their suffering, and the enduring grief of their families, must never be forgotten,” he said.

Guterres emphasized that the horrors of Oct. 7 must never be repeated.

Calling for an end to suffering in Gaza

Guterres also addressed the devastating consequences of the hostilities for Palestinians in Gaza, citing widespread loss of life, displacement and destruction.

He said civilians continued to face intolerable conditions and called for their suffering to end immediately.

“Their suffering, too, demands an end — now,” he said.

Although the ceasefire reached in 2025 brought some relief, Guterres said it had not yet delivered security, sufficient humanitarian assistance or a credible route toward recovery and peace.

Making the ceasefire permanent

Guterres urged all parties to implement their commitments fully and move forward under the Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict.

His message called for a permanent ceasefire, humanitarian assistance at the scale needed and respect for international law. He also emphasized the need for a political process that supports lasting peace throughout the region.