The Mountain Whom All Approach in China

"Since the start of last year, eight ministries and four organizations directly under the State Council, China's cabinet, have been given new chiefs."
South China Morning Post

"He [Xi Jinping] stood still, long arms slack, hair pomaded, a portrait of take-it-or-leave-it composure that induced his visitor to cross the room in pursuit of a handshake."
Evan Osnos, New Yorker, Xi profile

"He's a very talented man. I think he's a very good man. He loves China, I can tell you. He loves China. He wants to do what's right for China."
"Just left China’s President Xi where we had an excellent meeting on trade & North Korea."
"So much for China working with us - but we had to give it a try! While I greatly appreciate the efforts of President Xi & China to help with North Korea, it has not worked out."
U.S. President Donald Trump

One-man rule. (Reuters/Dale De La Rey)

The world is immersed in a period of political dictatorships. The trend seemed to begin in Russia with Vladimir Putin deciding that two terms as president of Russia just wasn't satisfying enough for his self-conceived role as the new czar, so he and Dmitri Medvedev did a little twist on the child's game of musical chairs and exchanged positions. Circumventing the Russian constitution that deems two terms at the helm more than sufficient; a legal clause that most nations' constitutions reflect.

The next step was to give himself increased power that would enable him to change the constitution, to cleanse it of the offending stipulation that two terms would serve nicely to bring in fresh blood. Mr. Putin spilled more than his share of blood in erasing his critics' irritating dissents, and now he is able legally in Russia to rule for as long as he wishes. His successful ruse inspired Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdogan to follow suit, and  he too despite opposition that he made quick work of, succeeded.

Then along came Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro determined to do the very same. Only protest in Venezuela is far more robust than it was in both Russia and Turkey, mostly because the country is in a state of perilous downfall, its economy in free fall, unemployment rife, violence on the rise, and food and medicine and oil in steep decline. No matter, if Putin, Erdogan and other aspiring dictators could succeed so could Maduro.

Next in line surely would be the Phillippines' Rodrigo Duterte, whose inflexibly violent 'war on drugs' will warrant that he will be the only political leader in that torn country battling its very own Islamist insurgency entitled to rule the country. Despite all its horrendous dysfunction courtesy of Islam, drugs and Duterte, popular support of the population will ensure that they will obligingly support the prospect of his continued unforgiving iron command.

No one could rightfully claim that Donald J. Trump pirated the American presidential election to crown himself with the pompous self-regard he showers on himself. It was the decision of an overwhelming number of American voters that brought President Trump to the White House. The nation was already deep in the throes of political polarization which thrived under his predecessor, the redoubtable Barack Obama. This is a nation increasingly at war with itself.

Still from video; G20 Summit

But the biggest fish to fry is now consolidating his influence in the world's most populous nation. If it is considered difficult to administer the affairs of a country whose population originated from all parts of the world and whose politics reflect the full spectrum from left to right, radical to moderate, it [the U.S.] is still merely one-quarter of the size of the population ruled by the Communist Party of China's Politboro and its leader.

The reformist who came to office as an insider with a moderate agenda also undertook like Trump, to 'clean out the stable' [one of the tasks of srongman Hercules, to clean out the gigantic Aegean stable] of the entitlement of the political elite to the additional emoluments of corruption. To make the country run more effectively, efficiently, increase prosperity, become more responsible to its people, that kind of thing. And so, Xi Jinping set out to cleanse the leadership of the corrupting influences of his predecessor.

The 19th National Congress is scheduled for the fall and there it is that China's latest dictator will shine, his keynote address paving the way for re-writing the constitution of the Communist Party of China. This leader of the People's Republic is attuned to winning another, his second five-year General Secretary term. And when that one is completed, there's the third term which the current constitution disallows, but which, like Russia's and Turkey's, in capable hands can will be re-written.

All the preliminaries have been taken care of; he did have five years to install those friends in the party's upper echelons, as well as reorganize the military. Critics were charged with inharmonious activities harmful to the welfare of the state and duly prosecuted. With President Xi flattery and sycophancy goe a long way to please this very amiable man. And intelligent. And literate. As head of the seven-member national committee in any event, it is exceedingly unwise to challenge his authority.

He is on track to lead his nation toward the "great rejuvenation of the nation"; prosperity, unity and strength. And who could criticize the relaxation of the one-child policy, or the elimination of "re-education through labour" camps, after all? As for the modernization and technical advances brought to the country, helping to increase the numbers of the middle class; high-speed rail and all manner of technical and scientific advances the equal of any first-world country, and more, express China's potential and its present.

Issues such as human rights, independent judiciaries and constitutional democracy Western-style, are simply not the Chinese way. Chinese lawyers who specialize in promoting human rights are actively practising anti-Chinese values, resulting in lack of harmony and social, economic and poliical stability which in and of itself challenge forward-looking success.

No, we haven't forgotten North Korea's Kim Jong-Un. He is in a category of his own. Sharing space with the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives for the opening session of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, on March 3, 2017   Jason Lee, Reuters