Teaching Comparative Government and Politics

Thursday, April 28, 2016

Centralization of power

What countries' heads of state appear in military uniforms? What heads of governments wear military apparel? What does it symbolize?

China's Xi Jinping takes commander in chief military title

China's President Xi Jinping has taken on a new military title, in his latest move to exert greater control over the armed forces.

Mr Xi is now commander in chief of the military's Joint Operations Command Centre.

President Xi

State media showed him visiting the centre wearing camouflage fatigues…

Mr Xi is already General Secretary of the Communist Party, and chair of the Central Military Commission, which manages the People's Liberation Army…

The title, if anything, underlines what we already knew: China is modernising its armed forces fast, and Xi Jinping is at the centre of that change.

During his visit to the centre on Wednesday, which was widely publicised in state media, he said the armed forces should be "absolutely loyal" and "capable of winning wars".

Experts say his appearance in military fatigues may also be a display of strength aimed at China's rivals…

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