Xi Jinping became president of China in 2012, ushering in an era of increased assertiveness and authoritarianism. He has been front and centre of China's push to cement its position as a superpower, while also launching crackdowns on corruption and dissent. A consummate political chess player who has cultivated an enigmatic strongman image, the leader of the ruling Chinese Communist Party has rapidly consolidated power, having his ideas mentioned by name in the constitution - an honour that had been reserved only to Mao Zedong until now. The "Xi Jinping Thought" means that any challenge to the president will now be seen as a threat to Communist Party rule. In 2018, the National People's Congress approved the removal of the two-term limit on the presidency, effectively allowing Xi Jinping to remain in power for life. Born in Beijing in 1953, Xi Jinping is the son of revolutionary veteran Xi Zhongxun, one of the Communist Party's founding fathers and a vice-premier. Because of his illustrious roots, Mr Xi is seen as a "princeling" - a child of elite senior officials who has risen up the ranks. But his family's fortunes took a dramatic turn when his father was purged in 1962 prior to the Cultural Revolution and imprisoned. At the age of 15, the younger Xi was sent to the countryside for "re-education" and hard labour in the remote and poor village of Liangjiahe for seven years - an experience that would later figure large in his official story. Far from turning against the Communist Party, Mr Xi embraced it. He tried to join it several times, but was rebuffed because of his father's standing. Once he was finally accepted in 1974, he worked hard to rise to the top - first as a local party secretary in Hebei province, before moving on to more senior roles in other places including party chief of Shanghai, China's second city and financial hub. His increasing profile in the party propelled him to its top decision making body, the Politburo Standing Committee, and in 2012 he was picked as president. xi jinping news china xi jinping news xi jinping documentary xi jinping biography biden xi jinping xi jinping family president xi jinping china's president xi jinping xi jinping china president xi jinping speech usa news usa news live usa live news usa live breaking news usa usa today usa today news usa now news usa now taiwan taiwan army usa vs china taiwan vs china military power 2022 taiwan china