Challenges in the Life of Xi Jinping in a Detailed Timeline
A closer look at the defining struggles that shaped Xi Jinping's life and career.
Xi Jinping is the current paramount leader of China, holding the positions of General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and Chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC) since 2012, and President of China since 2013. He is a member of the fifth generation of Chinese leadership and the first CCP General Secretary born after the establishment of the People's Republic of China.
1963: Father Purged from CCP
In 1963, when Xi Jinping was 10 years old, his father was purged from the CCP and sent to work in a factory.
May 1966: Cultural Revolution Halts Education
In May 1966, the Cultural Revolution cut short Xi Jinping's secondary education.
1968: Father Imprisoned
In 1968, Xi Jinping's father was imprisoned, and Xi submitted an application to leave Beijing for the countryside.
January 13, 1969: Arrived in Liangjiahe Village
On January 13, 1969, Xi Jinping arrived in Liangjiahe Village, Yan'an, Shaanxi, as part of Mao Zedong's Down to the Countryside Movement.
September 1988: Appointed Secretary of Ningde
In September 1988, Xi Jinping was appointed as the secretary of Ningde, and worked to eradicate poverty.
2009: Ensuring social stability during politically sensitive anniversaries
In 2009, Xi Jinping was reportedly at the helm of a top-level CCP committee dubbed the 6521 Project, which was charged with ensuring social stability during a series of politically sensitive anniversaries.
September 2012: Disappearance from official media coverage
Beginning on 1 September 2012, Xi Jinping disappeared from official media coverage for several weeks, causing rumors about his status.
November 2012: Brother-in-law shell companies dormant
By November 2012, Deng Jiagui (Xi's brother-in-law)'s shell companies in the British Virgin Islands, became dormant by the time Xi became general secretary of the CCP.
2012: Start of crackdown on human rights
In 2012, according to the Human Rights Watch, Xi Jinping "started a broad and sustained offensive on human rights" since he became leader.
2013: Enactment of Law against "Defamatory" Content
In 2013, a law was enacted authorizing a three-year prison term for bloggers who shared more than 500 times any content considered "defamatory," leading to self-censorship and a decline in Weibo usage.
2013: Terrorist attacks in Xinjiang
In 2013, there were several terrorist attacks in Xinjiang.
2013: Listed as Press Freedom Predator
Since 2013, Reporters Without Borders included Xi Jinping among the list of press freedom predators.
2014: Launch of Strike Hard Campaign Against Violent Terrorism
In 2014, Xi Jinping launched the Strike Hard Campaign Against Violent Terrorism in Xinjiang, involving mass detention and surveillance of ethnic Uyghurs.
July 2015: 709 Crackdown
In July 2015, Xi Jinping presided over the 709 crackdown, which involved the detention of over 200 lawyers, legal assistants, and human rights activists.
2015: Chinese Stock Market Bubble Pop
In 2015, the Chinese stock market bubble popped, leading Xi Jinping to use state forces to intervene and fix it.
2017: Stalled Economic Reforms
By 2017, experts indicated that Xi Jinping's promise of economic reforms had stalled.
2017: Christians told to replace Jesus pictures with Xi Jinping
In 2017, the local government of Jiangxi province instructed Christians to replace pictures of Jesus with Xi Jinping, indicating a severe suppression of Christianity.
2018: China Cyberspace Governance Conference
Chairing the 2018 China Cyberspace Governance Conference, Xi Jinping committed to "fiercely crack down on criminal offenses including hacking, telecom fraud, and violation of citizens' privacy."
2018: Removal of Presidential Term Limits
In 2018, Xi Jinping oversaw the removal of term limits for the presidency.
2018: Trade war revives "self-reliance"
Since the outbreak of the trade war in 2018, Xi has revived calls for "self-reliance," especially on technology.
April 2019: All versions of Wikipedia were blocked.
In April 2019, during Xi Jinping's administration, all versions of Wikipedia were blocked, as part of the increased internet restrictions.
November 2019: Leaked documents reveal Xi's orders for Xinjiang crackdown
In November 2019, leaked internal Chinese government documents revealed that Xi Jinping personally ordered a security crackdown in Xinjiang, advocating for the use of "all the weapons of the people's democratic dictatorship."
2019: Drop in Uyghur birth rate
By 2019, a birth suppression campaign in Xinjiang led to a large drop in the Uyghur birth rate.
2019: Scaling back affirmative action
By 2019, the CCP had embraced assimilationist policies towards ethnic minorities, scaling back affirmative action in the country.
January 2020: Presided over Zero-COVID Policy Onset
From January 2020, following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in mainland China, Xi Jinping initially presided over a zero-COVID policy.
January 2020: Xi comments on COVID-19 and orders efforts to curb spread
On January 20, 2020, Xi Jinping commented on the emerging COVID-19 pandemic in Wuhan for the first time and ordered efforts to curb its spread.
2020: Internment of 1.8 million people
By 2020, the Strike Hard Campaign Against Violent Terrorism included the detainment of 1.8 million people in internment camps, mostly Uyghurs and other minorities.
2020: Chen Xiaojiang appointed as head of the National Ethnic Affairs Commission
In 2020, Chen Xiaojiang was appointed as head of the National Ethnic Affairs Commission, becoming the first Han Chinese head of the body since 1954.
2020: Li Keqiang on Poverty Levels
In 2020, Premier Li Keqiang cited the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), stating that China still had 600 million people living with less than 1000 yuan ($140) a month.
2020: Halt to Ant Group's IPO
In 2020, The Wall Street Journal reported that Xi Jinping ordered a halt to Ant Group's initial public offering (IPO).
2020: Oversaw Passage of National Security Law in Hong Kong
In 2020, Xi Jinping oversaw the passage of a national security law in Hong Kong, which clamped down on political opposition.
2020: Formulation of "Three Red Lines" Policy
In 2020, Xi Jinping's government formulated the "three red lines" policy aimed at deleveraging the heavily indebted property sector.
2020: National Security Law in Hong Kong
In 2020, the NPCSC passed a national security law in Hong Kong, expanding government control and restricting political opposition, seen as the culmination of Xi's efforts to integrate Hong Kong with the mainland.
October 2021: Change to minority education rights
In October 2021, a wording that guaranteed the rights of minority children to be educated in their native language was scrapped and replaced with one that emphasized teaching the national language.
2021: Crackdown on Tech and Tutoring Sectors
In 2021, Xi Jinping directed a broad crackdown against the tech and tutoring sectors as part of promoting "common prosperity".
2021: Property Sector Crisis
Since 2021, China has faced a property sector crisis, partially resulting from Xi Jinping's efforts to decrease the sector's role in the Chinese economy.
June 2022: Pan Yue appointed as head of the National Ethnic Affairs Commission
In June 2022, Pan Yue, a Han Chinese, became the head of the National Ethnic Affairs Commission, and is reportedly holding assimilationist policies toward ethnic minorities.
November 2022: Protests against China's COVID-19 policies
In November 2022, protests broke out against China's COVID-19 policies, triggered by a fire in Ürümqi, with some protesters demanding the end of Xi's and the CCP's rule.
December 2022: Shifted Towards COVID-19 Mitigation Strategy
In December 2022, Xi Jinping ultimately shifted from a zero-COVID policy towards a mitigation strategy.
2023: Prosecution of Government Officials
As of 2023, approximately 2.3 million government officials have been prosecuted under Xi Jinping's anti-corruption campaign.
2023: Doubts About National Soccer Team
In 2023, Xi Jinping expressed uncertainty about the abilities of the national soccer team.
