My name is Joel Odota, and I am a China-trained sinologist. I am writing this article to inform the public of a few important aspects of Chinese politics. Unfortunately, many people in Uganda witness China's growing influence in our socioeconomic and political affairs and yet do not understand much about Beijing’s politics. I present three key, interesting truths you must know today about the Chinese political system.
There are no general elections in China.
Unlike Uganda, the Chinese government is communist, meaning the general Chinese citizenry does not go to the polls periodically, just as Ugandans do every five years. The Chinese government is run by the Communist Party of China (CPC), established in 1949, the year of the founding of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). I Call China the only surviving socialist regime in the 21st century “with Chinese Characteristics.” In China, the National People’s Congress (NPC), China’s legislative body of about 3,000 leaders, sits every five years to determine the CPC Party’s direction and elect a president. In Uganda, the NPC would be the equivalent of our 556 Members of Parliament (MPs), except that our MPs do not choose a president in a parliamentary sitting. You will notice that the NPC takes important political decisions on behalf of 1.4 billion people.
President Xi voted for a life presidency.
In 2013, President Xi was elected by the NPC as China’s top political leader, and five years later (in 2018), the same electoral college approved him for a life presidency, removing the initial 10-year presidential term limit in China. This means the NPC’s got one of the most daunting tasks—the rigorous process of choosing the country’s top leader—off their desk. President Xi became the first Chinese leader to get this approval since the founding of the New China in 1949 and one of China’s “most powerful” leaders since Chairman Mao Zedong, the founding father of the PRC. Xi’s political ideology, widely known as “Xi Jinping Thought” focuses on the “Realization of the Chinese Dream of National Rejuvenation” in the current era. In urging the Chinese people to attain the Chinese Dream, President Xi envisages improved living standards through sustainable development, the opening up of the Chinese economy, and encourages Chinese enterprises to “go out into the world” along the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road and do business. In fact, Xi’s thoughts have not only received attention in China, where newspapers, television billboards, and schools have all rallied behind Xi’s ideologies. Elsewhere in the world, in Moscow, Russia, a laboratory was opened to study Xi’s Thoughts.
One country, two systems
Would you ever imagine Uganda having another smaller “nation,” say North, South, East, West, or at the center of the mainland? Well, apparently, that is what it is in China. It is a bit confusing, right? Yes, it must be! In China, there is mainland China (capital Beijing), called the PRC. However, three major Islands surround the mainland: Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan, which are self-governing and considered part of China in what Beijing calls the “Special Administrative Regions (SARs). Taiwan is referred to as the Republic of China (ROC). The Island’s history is quite complex, with numerous colonial events ranging from Dutch and Spanish Colonization in the 17th Century to the Qing Dynasty of China's rule in the 1600s to Japanese rule until World War II. However, after the defeat of Japan in World War II in 1945, the Island was handed back to mainland China. Still, the Chinese Civil War between the CPC and the Chinese Nationalist Party (Kuomintang, or KMT) resumed. The KMT, led by Chiang Kai-shek, retreated to Taiwan in 1949 following their defeat by the CPC, establishing the ROC with its capital in Taipei.
For simple understanding, two key differences between mainland China and Hong Kong, for instance, are that Hong Kong does not have a military but a police force, a president but a Chief Executive, and diplomatic relations with the rest of the world but maintains cultural and economic relations with the international community, among others. As a Ugandan, you might have noticed no diplomatic relations in the form of high commissions between Uganda and Taiwan, Macau, or Hong Kong. The year 1947 will mark 50 years since the British colonial power left Hong Kong, and it will be time for Hong Kong to return to mainland China. "One country, two systems” means one China but two different administrative structures between mainland China and the SARs. I will share with you my experience attending conferences with mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Macau delegates. It's not funny, but instead of one country flag on their desks, two little flags (one for the mainland and a second one for their respective SAR) would be displayed.
However, as a Ugandan passport holder, you can visit Hong Kong visa-free for up to three months. Hong Kong is considered the global financial hub; it is peaceful, culturally diverse, and has some of the world’s most modern infrastructure.
Reunification or further autonomy: Xi’s to-do list in the new era
President Xi has constantly vowed to “peacefully reunify” Beijing with the SARs. Although tensions between mainland China and Taiwan have existed for years, ties between the two have taken on a new shape since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, during which Beijing repeatedly threatened war against Taiwan.
Taiwan’s military has repeatedly reported Beijing’s continued “provocation," including violating the Island’s airspace by mainland China’s fighter jets, cyber-attacks, and other threats. The Taiwan Foreign Minister, Joseph Wu, has warned that Taipei is bracing for a conflict with Beijing in 2027. The U.S. House Representative’s visit to the Island last year sparked renewed tension between China and the U.S. in recent years.
While Taiwan prepares for a potential war with mainland China, the Biden Administration has pledged full support for Taiwan should Beijing try to use force over the Island.
Whether or not a unification between mainland China and its SARs is possible remains to be seen. However, China’s conduct in and around the SARs is closely monitored by the West, led by the U.S. A Ukraine-like situation in the South China Sea would be devastating and significantly affect African countries like Uganda, which rely heavily on China for trade.
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