China's leader Xi Jinping has often been referred to as a "strongman president" but he is emerging from the latest Chinese Communist party's National Congress with greatly enhanced powers that even a dictator might envy.
As the 19th Congress drew to a close today, how he uses those powers is of critical importance to the rest of the world.
What Mr Xi has called the "New Era" ushered in by his second term of office is expected to see the emergence of a stronger, more assertive China capable of vying with the US in terms of global economic and military power and of realising the "Chinese Dream" of past greatness, as Mr Xi calls it.
Turning China into a "market economy" will rank lower in the 64-years-old leader's scale of priorities than was the case with past Chinese presidents, analysts say. State-owned firms could actually see their powers strengthened in line with greater central control. But none of this implies an inward-turning China.
Whether in projecting China's power overseas via the ambitious "One Belt-One Road" infrastructure scheme, creating new ways to finance energy imports from the Middle East and elsewhere, or giving the Chinese currency a wider international role, Mr Xi is likely to promote a "global China".
His administration is likely to be more authoritarian than those of immediate predecessors Hu Jintao and Zhang Xemin, with greater emphasis on Communist Party control over the apparatus of government, says Yuqing Xing, an economics professor at Tokyo's Graduate Research Institute of Policy Studies
Mr Xi "has coinsolidated his power," Prof Xing tells The National. He is already the president, general secretary of the Communist Party of China and chairman of the central military commission. In addition, "he is chairing many committees covering economic areas, national security and others".
Mr Xi "appears to have absolutely mighty power", says Prof Xing, a prominent academic who has worked with the Asian Development Bank and has been a visiting research fellow at universities in China, Singapore and Finland as well as at the United Nations University in Tokyo.
The adulatory language used by Community Party-controlled newspapers in China about Mr Xi is "something that has not been seen in decades" notes Prof Xing. And it marks a distinct break from the view of the former Chinese leader and economic reformist Deng Xiao Ping.
Deng also brought about a separation of party and state following the iron rule of the revolutionary Chinese leader Mao Tse Tung, Now this separation is likely to be reversed and Mr Xi is likely fuse the two and strengthen his control over the party, Prof Xing suggests.
Mr Xi's marathon three-and-a-half-hour speech to the Congress in Beijing suggested that " China will play a bigger role in the centre of the international stage,” says Prof Xing. “It will build a powerful modern army so that they ca match American military power."
As he enters his second five-year term, Mr Xi faces potential challenges to his position from wealthy and powerful Chinese tycoons living overseas (rather like those that the Russian president Valdimir Putin has faced from his oligarchs) and he has strengthened state security to ward off such threats.
While some worry about an "over-concentration" of power in China, others argue that Mr Xi will be able to justify this by pointing to political disarray in the US and Europe caused by populist politics. China will regain its former reputation as a "role model" for developing countries, they say.
"China clearly is not vulnerable to the vicissitudes of competitive democratic politics with Xi Jinping's role as 'core' leaders [confirmed] at the 19th Party Congress," the chief equity strategist and managing director Christopher Wood at the brokerage CLSA in Hong Kong tells The National.
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What does all this mean for the Chinese economy, the world's second-biggest behind the US and ahead of Japan - and which has maintained one of the highest growth rates in the world under several successive presidents including Mr Xi Jinping?
"Economic growth in China "cooled slightly to 6.8 per cent in the third quarter of this year from the second quarter's 6.9 per cent," notes Andy Rothman, an investment strategist with Matthers Asia who worked in China for more than 20 years. China's growth has been so consistent as to become "boring" but "boring is good", he says
The "modest loss of momentum in the third quarter had been expected as the government reins in the heated property market and cracks down on riskier lending," he says. The Chinese economy is meanwhile characterised by "strong wage growth, low household debt, mild inflation and consumer optimism " all producing strong retails sales.
Mr Xi's stewardship of the Chinese economy during his first term of office is generally acclaimed, analysts say "Supply side reforms should make the economy much better balanced going forward," says Mr Wood.
"It is a massive positive that there is now accelerating evidence of the long-discussed 'rebalancing' in China's economy with consumption driving growth much more than than investment. Feared overheating in the Chinese property market, meanwhile, is being addressed.
Further progress toward a fully marketised economy in China is problematic, however, according to Prof Xing. "Last Congress [in 2013] Mr Xi made a speech that made people feel exited about market orientated reform and strengthening the rule of law. But now I think that may not be as we expected. There will be ideology control."
What of China's future trade and investment policy under Mr Xi? "This is a very interesting issue," says Prof Xing. "China started to promote overseas investment from the beginning of the 21st century but from 2015 China it faced serious capital outflows. Now the Chinese government has suddenly discouraged capital outflow."
This has created an apparent dilemma whereby if Mr Xi tried to promote overseas investment by Chinese companies more aggressively he would need to relax capital controls, and that could drain the country's foreign exchange reserves dramatically, as happened a year or so ago.
But he has moved to avoid this by declaring that Chinese official overseas aid will be denominated in yuan rather than dollars. Chinese companies will still need dollars to acquire firms in, say, the US or Japan but, by launching his One Belt One Road project, China's leader has created an incentive for firms to invest in countries where yuan are accepted, says Prof Xing.
This is a case where Mr Xi's "Global China" policies are paying off, he adds.
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
If you go…
Emirates launched a new daily service to Mexico City this week, flying via Barcelona from Dh3,995.
Emirati citizens are among 67 nationalities who do not require a visa to Mexico. Entry is granted on arrival for stays of up to 180 days.
Profile
Company: Justmop.com
Date started: December 2015
Founders: Kerem Kuyucu and Cagatay Ozcan
Sector: Technology and home services
Based: Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai
Size: 55 employees and 100,000 cleaning requests a month
Funding: The company’s investors include Collective Spark, Faith Capital Holding, Oak Capital, VentureFriends, and 500 Startups.
Herc's Adventures
Developer: Big Ape Productions
Publisher: LucasArts
Console: PlayStation 1 & 5, Sega Saturn
Rating: 4/5
F1 drivers' standings
1. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes 281
2. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari 247
3. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes 222
4. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull 177
5. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari 138
6. Max Verstappen, Red Bull 93
7. Sergio Perez, Force India 86
8. Esteban Ocon, Force India 56
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
more from Janine di Giovanni
360Vuz PROFILE
Date started: January 2017
Founder: Khaled Zaatarah
Based: Dubai and Los Angeles
Sector: Technology
Size: 21 employees
Funding: $7 million
Investors: Shorooq Partners, KBW Ventures, Vision Ventures, Hala Ventures, 500Startups, Plug and Play, Magnus Olsson, Samih Toukan, Jonathan Labin
Diriyah%20project%20at%20a%20glance
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
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The Gandhi Murder
- 71 - Years since the death of MK Gandhi, also christened India's Father of the Nation
- 34 - Nationalities featured in the film The Gandhi Murder
- 7 - million dollars, the film's budget
Essentials
The flights
Etihad (etihad.ae) and flydubai (flydubai.com) fly direct to Baku three times a week from Dh1,250 return, including taxes.
The stay
A seven-night “Fundamental Detox” programme at the Chenot Palace (chenotpalace.com/en) costs from €3,000 (Dh13,197) per person, including taxes, accommodation, 3 medical consultations, 2 nutritional consultations, a detox diet, a body composition analysis, a bio-energetic check-up, four Chenot bio-energetic treatments, six Chenot energetic massages, six hydro-aromatherapy treatments, six phyto-mud treatments, six hydro-jet treatments and access to the gym, indoor pool, sauna and steam room. Additional tests and treatments cost extra.
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Match info:
Real Betis v Sevilla, 10.45pm (UAE)
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
Explainer: Tanween Design Programme
Non-profit arts studio Tashkeel launched this annual initiative with the intention of supporting budding designers in the UAE. This year, three talents were chosen from hundreds of applicants to be a part of the sixth creative development programme. These are architect Abdulla Al Mulla, interior designer Lana El Samman and graphic designer Yara Habib.
The trio have been guided by experts from the industry over the course of nine months, as they developed their own products that merge their unique styles with traditional elements of Emirati design. This includes laboratory sessions, experimental and collaborative practice, investigation of new business models and evaluation.
It is led by British contemporary design project specialist Helen Voce and mentor Kevin Badni, and offers participants access to experts from across the world, including the likes of UK designer Gareth Neal and multidisciplinary designer and entrepreneur, Sheikh Salem Al Qassimi.
The final pieces are being revealed in a worldwide limited-edition release on the first day of Downtown Designs at Dubai Design Week 2019. Tashkeel will be at stand E31 at the exhibition.
Lisa Ball-Lechgar, deputy director of Tashkeel, said: “The diversity and calibre of the applicants this year … is reflective of the dynamic change that the UAE art and design industry is witnessing, with young creators resolute in making their bold design ideas a reality.”
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Company%20profile
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Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.