CPC's key meet endorses plan to end two-term limit for Xi

The ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) today reportedly endorsed proposals to end two term limit for President Xi Jinping at the end of a three-day Plenum of the party.

This year's plenum assumed significance as ahead of the meeting CPC proposed to do away with the two-term limit for the President and Vice President through a constitutional amendment.

The removal of the term limit followed by previous Presidents, Jiang Zemin and Hu Jintao, to ensure collective leadership would virtually pave the way for a life term for Xi, raising concerns at home and abroad.


Murmurs of rare dissent over the move to remove the term limit for President Xi were surfaced in the popular social media.

Li Datong, a former editor at the state-run China Youth Daily, posted a draft letter urging Chinese legislators to vote against the move saying that it would take the country back to era of CPC founder Mao Zedong.

"It (the restriction) was the highest and most effective legal restriction meant to prevent autocracy or putting individuals above the party and the state," he said in his letter in popular social media app, Wechat.

It was quickly blocked by official censors.

State-run news agency Xinhua reported that Xi, who is the general secretary of the party, made an "important" speech at the session. It, however, gave no details.

An official statement after the Plenary meet said the plenary session reviewed and adopted a decision by the CPC Central Committee on deepening reform of Party and state institutions as well as a plan for the reform.