Xi’s Iron Grip Faces Test as China’s Economy Slows and Trump Attacks
- Weaker growth, Tiananmen anniversary among challenges ahead
- President’s warnings point to anxiety in Communist Party
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Chinese President Xi Jinping has spent much of the past six years perfecting a system of political control that’s the envy of autocrats around the world. This year it could be put to the test.
From a deepening economic slowdown to a more confrontational U.S., the ruling Communist Party faces the greatest confluence of potential threats since the financial crisis a decade ago. The concern has been voiced by none other than Xi, who summoned ministers and provincial chiefs to Beijing last week to warn that “major risks” abound and their “long-term rule” wasn’t guaranteed.