China scraps presidential term limit

The Chinese parliament on Sunday voted to scrap presidential term limits in a historic amendment that will allow President Xi Jinping to rule indefinitely. The nearly 3,000-member National People’s Congress approved the amendment with only two opposing votes, three abstentions, and one invalidated vote. The amendment also incorporated Xi’s name and ideology into the country’s constitution. “Let us hold high the banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics, thoroughly study and apply Xi Jinping thought … and realize the Chinese dream,” parliamentary chairman Zhang Dejiang told the delegates. Opponents and rights groups have argued the amendment could plunge the country into a dictatorship. “History has shown that many political leaders who sought lifelong service have not managed to realize their vision,” Cary Huang, a political commentator, wrote in the South China Morning Post. “Some have been deposed … others have been assassinated by political enemies.”