President Xi’s Strongman Rule Raises New Fears of Hostility and Repression<br />Wu Qiang, a political analyst in Beijing who is critical of Mr. Xi, said the change to the Constitution<br />would turn Mr. Xi into a "super-president." "He will have no limits on his power," he said.<br />Some analysts outside China said they worried that allowing Mr. Xi one-man rule might<br />worsen an increasingly tense relationship between the United States and China.<br />" And, he added, "What if growth slows more than expected?" If Mr. Xi comes under pressure at home or abroad, he could become unpredictable, and even dangerous, Mr. Jennings said.<br />that What if the People’s Liberation Army decides he should be cut loose?<br />He does not express support for the independence of the courts or the freedom of the press." So if anything, he said, "I think Trump is<br />probably jealous." From Clinton to Bush to Obama, the prevailing belief was engagement with China would make China more like the West.<br />Experts said Mr. Xi would likely benefit from the perception in China that the rest of the world is chaotic.<br />Douglas H. Paal, a China expert at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said the sudden move, before Mr. Xi even starts his second term next month, suggested<br />that things were not "normal" within the Communist Party.<br />Mr. Trump said that I’m guessing he will not deplore the lack of democracy in China, because that’s the sort of thing he rarely if ever does,<br />Kerry Brown said that With a population amazed at the incompetent mess in much of the rest of the world,<br />and intoxicated by nationalism, for Xi to effect this change will be seen as reasonable,
