Xi Jinping: Consolidation, Economy and Global Strategy

As of mid-2024, Xi Jinping remains the dominant figure shaping China's domestic and foreign policy. Since securing an unprecedented third term at the 20th Party Congress in 2022, Xi has continued to drive a program that prioritizes the Communist Party's central role in governance, ideological consolidation under "Xi Jinping Thought," and tighter oversight of key social and economic institutions. Domestically, Beijing has emphasized political control and institutional discipline alongside targeted economic interventions. Authorities have reinforced party oversight across the state and private sectors, while continuing anti-corruption and internal discipline campaigns. At the same time, policymakers have signaled a pragmatic tilt on economic management: regulators moved from broad crackdowns toward calibrated measures to stabilize markets, support employment, and address strains in the property sector. Economic policy under Xi has stressed self-reliance, technological development, and the long-standing "dual circulation" framework that prioritizes domestic demand while managing external links. Efforts to revive investment and consumption have included targeted fiscal and monetary support, measures to shore up housing markets, and incentives for innovation in semiconductors, clean energy and advanced manufacturing. Persistent risks — including demographic headwinds, debt pressures in real estate, and the global economic slowdown — shape Beijing's approach and keep stability a central stated objective. In foreign and security policy, Xi's leadership has pursued a more assertive posture regionally and globally. Beijing has prioritized military modernization, maritime presence in the South China Sea, and diplomatic initiatives such as Belt and Road investments, while managing complex relations with the United States, Europe and regional neighbors. Looking ahead, analysts expect continuity in the core themes of party consolidation, economic stabilization with an emphasis on self-reliance, and foreign-policy activism — tempered by pragmatic responses to economic and geopolitical pressures.