China may scrap presidential term limit

China's Communist Party has called for the removal of the presidential term limit, which could allow President Xi Jinping to stay in power beyond 2023. The state-run Xinhua News Agency reported on Sunday that the Communist Party had proposed removing the expression in the Constitution that the president shall serve no more than 2 consecutive terms. This limits a president's time in office to 10 years. The limit was introduced in 1982 when the party shifted to the current collective leadership system following the death of the country's founding father, Mao Zedong. The Constitution is expected to be revised at the National People's Congress next month. If the Constitution is amended in line with the proposal, Xi could remain in his post beyond 2023, when his 2nd term is due to end. The Communist Party also proposed incorporating Xi's political thought into the Constitution. It is rare for the name of a Chinese president to be added to the Constitution while in office. Xi has tightened his grip on power since last year's Congress. Younger senior officials who were seen as leaders of the next generation were not appointed as members of the leadership. This had raised speculation that Xi was likely to remain in power after completing a second term.