“Xi Jinping, China’s most powerful leader since Mao, has given no signs about who will succeed him,” the Financial Times reports.
“After more than a decade of political purges and centralization of power, Xi faces no direct challenge to his authority and has signaled his intention to rule indefinitely.”
“However, even in such a controlled environment, the issue of political succession is never far from the surface. As Xi enters the midpoint of his third five-year term in power, the question of who will succeed the 71-year-old who has led the ruling Communist party since late 2012 is becoming more urgent — both within China and abroad. Rarely mentioned in public, it is a subject that permeates every discussion about China’s future.”

