BEIJING: China sought on Sunday to downplay the Communist Party´s move toscrap presidential term limits, a decision that could pave the way for XiJinping to remain president for life.

The National People´s Congress (NPC), China´s rubber-stamp parliament, willvote on March 11 on constitutional amendments which include the scrappingof a rule limiting the top leader to two five-year terms.

NPC spokesman Zhang Yesui told a news conference that the move will merelyalign the presidency with the titles of Communist Party general secretaryand Military Commission chairman, which do not have term limits.

“It is conducive to uphold the authority of the Central Committee of theparty with comrade Xi Jinping at the core and also to unify leadership,”Zhang said on the eve of the opening of the NPC´s annual session.

Zhang revealed that the party´s Central Committee proposed theconstitutional amendments, which include adding Xi´s eponymous politicalguidelines to the country´s charter, in January.

But the decision was first made public on February 25 in a report by theofficial Xinhua news agency.

The announcement sparked a rare bout of public criticism, prompting censorsto work furiously to stamp out dissenting posts on social media.

Xi has consolidated power since taking office as party chief in 2012 butthe move to lift presidential term limits surprised even the mostexperienced China watchers.

China´s late paramount leader Deng Xiaoping championed a system of”collective” leadership to prevent a return of the chaotic years under MaoZedong´s one-man rule from 1949 to his death in 1976.

The presidential term limits were engraved in the state constitution in1982.

“The constitution must adapt to the changing circumstances, include newexperiences, reflect new achievements and lay out new guidelines to remainrelevant,” Zhang said.

“Revising the constitution is certainly a big event in the country´spolitical life and it is also a major legislative activity that will havewide-ranging implications.”

US President Donald Trump had his own views on Xi´s power play on Saturday,according to audio from a closed-door Florida fundraiser at his Mar-a-Lagoresort published by news outlet CNN.

“He´s now president for life,” the 71-year-old US president said, elicitingchuckles from the crowd of Republican donors. “And look, he was able to dothat. I think it´s great.”

He garnered even more laughs when he quipped: “Maybe we´ll have to givethat a shot some day.” – APP/AFP