Xi Takes Defiant Victory Tour as He Closes in on Third Term
- China leader visits Xinjiang to tout policies decried by West
- President showcasing achievements before leadership reshuffle
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Xi Jinping’s trip to Xinjiang this week was the latest stop in a campaign-style tour that demonstrates the Chinese president’s willingness to defy foreign pressure before he secures a precedent-breaking third term.
Xi spent Tuesday through Friday visiting sites in the far western region that highlight policies the US and other Western nations say amount to genocide against the region’s Muslim minority. He called Beijing’s policy on minorities “good and effective,” state radio reported Friday. It follows similar trips to Hong Kong, where he praised a crackdown on the pro-democratic opposition, and the central city of Wuhan, where he reaffirmed China’s controversial zero-tolerance approach to Covid-19.