Xi ends the year with tight grip on power

At a meeting on Wednesday, China’s Politburo agreed to put a proposal on constitutional amendments at the top of the agenda for next month’s Communist Party Central Committee meeting, Xinhua reports.

• China’s constitution has not been changed since 2004, and Bloomberg notes ongoing speculation of an amendment that would remove the current two-term limit on the office of president, allowing Xi to retain the title beyond 2022.
• Another amendment will be necessary to provide a constitutional basis for a national anti-graft body, further cementing the central role of Xi’s years-long fight against corruption, which has proven a handy tool for eliminating potential political rivals.
• The Politburo meeting also included a return to self-criticism sessions as members reflected on their performance and vowed “to take the lead in studying Xi’s thoughts and rallying behind the president.”

• Taiwan
  Get used to drills, China tells Taiwan; Taipei says it seeks peace / Reuters
• Hong Kong
  China says part of Hong Kong rail station to be subject to mainland laws / Reuters
• On the docket
  Tencent’s WeChat messaging platform adopted by Beijing court for case filing / SCMP