It seems that the current American President, Donald Trump, might not be all he cracks himself up to be. On Saturday the 10th of March, at a rally in Pennsylvania, he claimed that he was the only world leader able to denuclearise North Korea and essentially save the world, saying, “Who else could do it, I mean honestly when you think.” However, without getting mixed up in social media shenanigans, Xi Jinping is quietly manoeuvring himself into pole position as the world’s most powerful man.
On Sunday the 11th of March at China’s annual National People’s Congress, a vote was approved to change the constitution and allow term limits on presidencies in China to be lifted. The proposal to get rid of term limits was presented by Xi Jinping himself, who clearly has an interest on never resigning as president. With no national debate discussing whether a president should be able to rule as long as they see fit, Xi Jinping has managed to change the governance of his country with himself firmly centred in the middle of it – an indication of the extent of his power. Interestingly, in response to the news on Xi, Trump was quoted saying, “And look, he was able to do that. I think it’s great. Maybe we’ll have to give that a shot someday.” However, while Trump can only continue his term for a maximum of 7 more years (for now, at least), what has he done to supposedly cement himself at the top of the world-power leader board?
Trump recently announced plans to impose a 10% tariff on aluminium and a 25% tariff on imports of steel. His plan looks to address the issue of the loss of steel and aluminium jobs because of cheap foreign imports, believing that both industries are integral to any country’s economic and social prosperity. He also lifted a ban on the imports of big-game trophies, including endangered species. This new policy is only acquired in certain countries with import approvals accepted on an individual basis. These are two of various executive actions that Trump has made since becoming president in 2017, with many causing debate as to what the repercussions are for America and the rest of world. However, compared to Xi’s latest activity, Trump’s actions seem almost insignificant.
Being the president of the United States has long been associated with the position as the world’s most powerful leader. However, the maximum term of office for the US president is 8 years, so, Trump will at some point, either in 2021 or 2025, have to give up office. This reality is not the case for Xi, who can choose how long he wants to rule, no matter his actions as Chinese president. Xi’s power lies in the fact that we, the rest of the world, are exposed to news on Trump and what his plans are whereas Xi marches on inexorably, with no one being able to dispute his decisions.
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