Updated Nov. 15, 2023 at 11:50 a.m.
On this day in 2012, Xi Jinping was elected General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party, on his way to becoming the most powerful leader in China since Mao Zedong.
Get On This Day In History delivered straight to your inbox ✉️ each day! Sign up here.
How has Xi Jinping led China?
Since taking office, Xi Jinping has removed political opponents from China’s government and introduced measures to enforce political unity in the country, while also using five-year plans to maintain China’s standing as the world’s fastest growing economy.
Like Mao Zedong, Xi Jinping has been described as a dictator as a result of his policies conducting mass surveillance, censoring speech and expression, and the recent internment of the Uyghurs Muslim minority in the northwest.
How long will Xi Jinping serve as General Secretary?
In 2021, the Central Committee removed a de facto two-term limit, allowing Xi Jinping to remain in office indefinitely. The last leader to serve more than two terms was Mao Zedong, who was widely considered a ruthless dictator.