Xi who must be obeyed
China’s Communist Party anoints Xi Jinping as the country’s next leader. He will have his work cut out
IN ORDER to be taken seriously, sometimes “thumping the table is better than not thumping”, Xi Jinping reportedly said when he was a relatively little known provincial chief. On October 18th Mr Xi, who is now vice-president, was anointed as China's leader-in-waiting. Yet earning the respect of his fractious Communist Party, let alone a sceptical public, will require a lot more than table-bashing. Mr Xi's eventual grip on power is by no means assured.
This article appeared in the Asia section of the print edition under the headline "Xi who must be obeyed"
From the October 23rd 2010 edition
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