Brian Bremner and Peter Martin, Bloomberg: Xi’s Power Trip Could Change China
* The president may now be in office for a long time. Is he on the right side of history?
China’s decision to repeal presidential term limits marks the moment when President Xi Jinping dropped any pretense of following the rules. The move, which may extend his tenure beyond 2023, shows just how deep the cult of Xi runs in Chinese politics. His political thought was enshrined into the Communist Party’s charter alongside his name last fall, giving Xi, 64, the same mythic status as Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping. His government regularly bends Chinese companies to its iron will. Just ask Wu Xiaohui, who faces prosecution for alleged fraud, and whose debt-burdened Anbang Insurance Group Co. was seized on Feb. 23 by the government as it cracks down on financial risk.
Read more ....
Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- February 27, 2018
Xi Jinping: what is behind the Chinese president’s power grab? -- Tom Phillips, The Guardian
What keeping Xi in power means for China – and the world -- Peter Marino, Reuters
China's Stability Myth Is Dead -- James Palmer, Foreign Policy
How to avert a trade war with China -- Ryan Hass, Brookings
Beijing’s economic sage looking to work miracle in Washington -- Christopher Scott, Asia Times
Russia, US could be headed for collision in Syria -- Maxim A. Suchkov, Al-Monitor
Syria destroys any pretence that Europe is a moral force -- Natalie Nougayrède, The Guardian
Who Will Rebuild Syria? -- Roie Yellinek, Algemeiner
Rebuilding Iraq Is Expensive. Are Donors Willing to Pay the Price? -- Daniel R. DePetris, National Interest
If Iran Decides to Go Nuclear It Will Become the New 'North Korea' -- James Jay Carafano, National Interest
Cambodia, Laos losing the last of their trees -- Dan Southerland, Asia Times
America’s Taiwan strategy badly needs rethinking, rebuilding -- Stephen Bryen, Asia Times
Can Hungary's opposition unite to defeat Viktor Orban? -- Keno Verseck, DW
Rex Tillerson May Be Finally Settling in at the State Department -- Curt Mills, National Interest
Hawk or dove? Bitcoin is forcing central banks to take sides -- Howard Davies, The Guardian
Even in world’s oldest democracies, citizens may be losing control -- John Lloyd, Reuters