Ah, i melissa cant. Thanks for joining us. The communist party of china begins. Its Major Congress this weekend. Thats all but certain to hand, she keeping a 3rd 5 year term. Its moved that puts him on the path to becoming leader for life, for better or worse, richer or poor. Because china, under she has had its share of milestones and challenges. As dw clifford conan reports, huge in pings, political journey has been epic from political exile during the upheavals of the cultural revolution to becoming the most powerful chinese leader since miles at dawn in the 19 seventys. China has been transformed since the mouth era, from a poor, inward looking country into a global superpower and the worlds 2nd largest to con me. Unless believe she goes into the congress in a strong position and his appointment for a 3rd term as party chief gives him more political muscle. She eating yoshika each hand bag. If they dont go there in the past, the Party Congress and china was similar to elections in the west. They found that there were many factions, many struggles on many disagreements of those. And this is likely going to be the 1st one without factional struggles since the establishment of the communist party of china. Which means that she, jim ping, has taken control of everything. Oh, she to me, in some corner you tick. The authoritarian, she has taken a hard line approach to chinas relations with the west, particularly over self rule taiwan. She wants taiwan to revert to beijings rule by 2049. The century of the foundation of the peoples republic. Hes not ruled are taking the island by force. His reluctance to condemn russias invasion of ukraine has antagonized the west you and his efforts to grab territory and the South China Sea of anger. Chinas neighbour is all i do. Relations with the United States or at their lowest ebb for years, while tensions between the you and china could escalate if she strengthens his commitment to a confrontational foreign policy. While the rest of the world is eating cove at 19 restrictions, chinas authorities have intensified their efforts to contain outbreaks, with strict lock downs, mouth testing, and lengthy warranties. The 0 coven approach is one of shes landmark policies. Its also turning into the most potent test of his leadership so far. At least one person was arrested in beijing for hanging, a protest banner in the city. Such protests are highly unusual. He can on the growth, under she is suffering and fears of a global recession, triggered by the war and ukraine, have hit confidence. Any hint of chinas future direction will be followed closely around the world. A burning question hanging over the congresss succession. Who comes after she that report by d. W. Clifford cooney who joins me now in the studio. So lets follow up on that last line of your report. There doesnt seem to be a Succession Plan of any kind. Was been very interesting in the, in the, in recent years in china mean under modes dong, he did have people who looked like his anointed successors. Some of them were eased out like joe and lie. Others died in plain crushes like in bow am and then we had young junk. The men who followed on from, from don shopping am and whos in town they did, they sort of formed an arc as well. But then suddenly would she, jim ping m, who again could be put in that camp with the successors of old going all the way back to dog shopping. And, but he doesnt, he seems to be behaving very differently. So its very difficult to actually draw an arc here. What hes doing now is, is taking full control, and hes entrenching himself at the top of the party. And anyone, any of his allies seemed to be just like people on the Standing Committee of the politburo rather than people. You would think that would be the next leader because theyre very much of similar age or an, you know, similar background. But theres no one emerging am who looks like they could be someone who would, who would be his next successor. And he touched on a number of challenges that china is facing. And in your report, can you dive into any one of them talk a little bit more about it . Well, i think 0 covered and the economy. I mean, its 2 issues, but the very closely linked, i think thats wanting, thats really struck me recently, is and how hes sticking to the 0 covey policy of these strict lock downs. And its being a mans harm to the, to the economy. And people cant get to work. People cant get to shop and people cant make things to, to export it. Its really damaging the economy. Im and i think this is one area where people looking at china often think that theres a very pragmatic approach to things. But actually is a very ideological approach to things that the colonies party on the come his party leader. She jim ping, few things very much, an ideological terms. And this has become part and parcel of his rule of his ethos. So hes very much am pushing the 0 covert policy and, and the effect that, that might have been the economy is only secondary to him. Where any 0 cove it is kind of anti science. And that really begs the question of like, there really are no challenges to him. Are there to, to question his policies or anything like that . No, i mean weve had, we had an incident where there was a protest in beijing recently with someone hanging a banner and that was just in the last couple of days. And, but that was presumably an isolated incident a few weeks ago. Yeah. There were strong rumors about m a possible coo and those things emerge every single time that theres a period of radio silence coming from from the government headquarters am. But there doesnt seem to be any one. Normally you would expect to hear of someone who was emerging as a challenger. We had both, she lie in the run up 10 years ago when am when i, when she jumping took power. I was clear, the boy she lie was a possible contender there. And he was very quickly moved aside, so theres no similar challenges emerging. Yeah, i mean hes very much a mystery man. So on that, no, i want to take a look at, she came pink story, his background, and his arise to power. And i will follow up ah, it was this moment that elevated, changing ping above chinese leaders before him in 2017, at the end of his 1st 5 year term, the communist Party Congress voted to have shes philosophy written into the constitution. Raising him to the same level as the father of chinese communism molds, a dung war fog and actually julia, julia g as she our country. Is that an important point at strategic opportunity in its development shower jar, issue of a n g . She was born in bay ging in 1953, the son of a high Ranking Party official. But in the 1960s, his father fell fowl of chairman mao and the communist leadership and was thrown into prison. The young she was sent to the countryside for political re education and hard labor for 7 years. But instead of turning against the communist party, he embraced it and worked hard to rise to the top. In november 2012, relatively unknown, she ging ping was named general secretary of the communist party. A few months later, he succeeded who jin tow as president of the peoples republic of china. She set about pursuing what he hailed as the china dream. To turn china into the worlds dominant power. Undersea john has become more assertive on the International Stage fuel by a growing patriotism at home. Much of it based around she doing things, image as chinas strong man. But she has also overseen increased limitations on freedoms. Expanding online censorship, and cracking down on opposition, voices, and leaked humans link. She directly to human rights abuses against the Muslim Minority wiggers. She go in 2018, the to term limit on the presidency was removed, paving the way for a 3rd term in office and allowing she to effectively remaining power every for life. Oh, why i silly. I mean, power for a life a why does he want to hold on to this power and do you think he has chinas best interest in mind . You know, i think and i think he, i think he thinks he does. He definitely has a version of what he thinks is best for, for china in his mind. And power is, is something that is obviously appealing and, and theres definitely that element he does enjoy his powerful role. But i do think that he thinks he is doing the best for the country. And i think what motivates him . I mean, he comes from am party party royalty. His city or his father was a key figure. And hes, you know, he grew up in us and it was mentioned there in the report in, you know, he was sent to the, in the culture of the cultural revolution he was sent on to chancey province. And am it to, you know, where he lived in caves and uneven turned that struggle into something that appears to have motivated him. And to driven him forward to take on this role because he hasnt acted according to the way people expected. As we were saying earlier hes, hes basically very much his own man and, and i think what drives him. Theres obviously this will to power. But i think definitely he thinks that he is doing whats best for china, but he very much believes that he is the best person to do it. Hes quite different from his father who is rather a liberal. Are all Things Considered . So a 3rd term, ah, possibly life term after that, but what might we me expect in the next 5 years . I think once hes am, i think what we seen, what were seeing at the moment in china is a lot of issues that are kind of am, you know, that theyre being sort of kicked into touch that theyre basically not m. Theyre not acting on a lot of things until this congress is over. This has been such a an issue for him that he wants to get this. This done and dusted. And dan, i think hes going to try and slowly address some issues with the economy. We have the property crisis, which is, you know, based on ever grand and on the other Property Developers which have massive debts. That is the percentage of the total economy. And thats a real threat that the whole debt problem is something that hes going to have to address. And i think possibly, once hes secured his 3rd term, he can move on things like 0 cove. It, i think a lot more flexibility because then he can certainly relax. I mean, scientifically, there are reasons why he can do it. But as you said, hes not thinking scientifically when it comes to this year, 0 coven policy. And i think and its, hes going to entrench his position. You have to think that he is going to start thinking about a successor that someone will emerge. I mean, we have no clues as yet, as weve said. And so i think a lot of it is going to be about m. M is going to be more of the same, but he will have to move a bit quicker on certain issues. Yeah, its been really interesting because the last few years china has really kind of been in suspended animation. I couldnt and thank you so much for joining us and im sure well be see a lot of you over the next week or so. And thats it for a, for the show. I will leave you with these images from beijing as theyre preparing for the 20th communist Party Congress. Have a good weekend and see on monday with imagine how many portion of lunch turn out in the world right now. The climate change, if any of the story, this is life life the way from just one week. How much was can really get we still have time to go. Im going all with his subscriber or more with a vibrant to have in the listening place of morning. The mediterranean sea, a star enter for a dual career drift, a modern lifestyles and mediterranean meeting people actually hearing their dreams. I determine the journey this week long. Do you w ah, this week on world stories, debating head scarves and indonesia fighting over water in the United States. We began in poland, where the nazis deported more than a 1000000 people to auschwitz, to be murdered. A collection tries to preserve the memory of the victims honoring those whose last steps led here the mountain of shoes at auschwitz, birkenau, especially those from little feet, is a sight. No one can forget. But few visitors to the former nazi death camp will have to