Beyond term limits: China’s new constitution is written for a nation on the rise

Tian Feilong says the latest amendments, of which the controversial removal of presidential term limits was one, show a newly confident nation following its own path

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President Xi Jinping walks to deliver his speech at the closing session of the National People’s Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, on March 20. Photo: Reuters

Published: 12:59pm, 23 Mar 2018Updated: 3:58pm, 23 Mar 2018

China recently revised its constitution, as it has done several times in the past, but the extent of the changes this time were greater than before, and the impact will be too.

Legislators voted this month to include President Xi Jinping’s political doctrine, “Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era”, into the constitution, among other changes.

In sum, the amendments leave the framework of the 1982 constitution intact, but they project a self-confidence that was missing in the original. Thanks to its rapid economic growth and rising global clout, today’s China is confident of its own system, path, theory and culture.

Its self-identity has changed from a “follower” country in the late 1970s at the start of its reform journey, to a leading country today with an eye on national rejuvenation. By stepping up as a leading nation, China has two goals in mind: national renaissance, and a more active role in shaping a common destiny for the global community.

The revised constitution reflects the decisions taken at the 19th Communist Party congress last October. It also signals at least two key shifts in the thinking that informs the constitution.

First, while in the past China undertook domestic reforms with the view to “keep a low profile and bide its time”, now its reforms are also geared towards helping the nation fulfil its role on the global stage.