General secretaryship of Xi Jinping

LocationPeople's Republic of ChinaCCP General SecretaryXi JinpingPresidentXi JinpingPrime Minister(s)Li Keqiang
Li QiangKey eventsAnti-corruption campaign
Battle against poverty
China–United States trade war
2019–2020 Hong Kong protests
COVID-19 pandemic
2022 Winter Olympics

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Since 2012, the People's Republic of China has officially referred to its present era as the New Era of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics, which started when Xi Jinping succeeded Hu Jintao as general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) following the 18th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party. In 2016, Xi was proclaimed the CCP's fourth leadership core, following Mao Zedong, Deng Xiaoping, and Jiang Zemin.

While overseeing China's domestic policy, Xi has introduced far-ranging measures to enforce party discipline and strengthen internal unity. His anti-corruption campaign led to the downfall of prominent incumbent and retired CCP officials, including former PSC member Zhou Yongkang. For the sake of promoting "common prosperity", Under Xi, China has enacted a series of policies designed to increase equality, overseen targeted poverty alleviation programs as part of the battle against poverty, and directed a broad crackdown in 2021 against the tech sector, as well as drastically curtailing the tutoring industry and reducing homework burdens. Furthermore, China has expanded support for state-owned enterprises (SOEs), emphasized advanced manufacturing and tech development, advanced military-civil fusion, and attempted to reform the country's property sector. Following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in mainland China, the country initially responded with a zero-COVID policy from January 2020 to December 2022 before ultimately shifting towards a mitigation strategy after widespread protests occurred. In foreign policy, Xi emphasizes the Community of Common Destiny. He seeks to increase China's ability to shape international norms in emerging policy areas (described as "new frontiers") like space and the internet, where China can position itself as an early entrant. Xi also seeks to increase China's discourse power, which he frames as China's "right to speak." Since Xi came to power, China has pursued a more hardline foreign policy particularly with regard to China's relations with the United States, the nine-dash line in the South China Sea, and the Sino-Indian border dispute. Additionally, for the sake of advancing Chinese economic interests abroad, China has sought to expand its influence in Africa and Eurasia by championing the Belt and Road Initiative.

Relations between Beijing and Taipei deteriorated under Taiwanese president Tsai Ing-wen, successor of Ma Ying-jeou whom Xi met in 2015. In 2020, a national security law in Hong Kong was passed, which clamped down on political opposition in the city, especially pro-democracy activists. Since Xi came to power, China has witnessed a significant increase in censorship and mass surveillance, a deterioration in human rights (including the persecution of Uyghurs), the rise of a cult of personality, the removal of term limits for the presidency in 2018, as well as an increased role for the CCP in society. Xi's political ideas and principles, known as Xi Jinping Thought, have been incorporated into the party and national constitutions. As the central figure of the fifth generation of leadership of the PRC, Xi has centralized institutional power by taking on multiple positions, overseen significant reforms of Party, state and military bodies, while also increasing the CCP's influence over the state bodies.