An anonymous open letter circulating on an online platform registered in South Korea has urged the reinstatement of presidential term limits for Chinese President Xi Jinping. The document, which claims to represent student collectives from fourteen major universities in mainland China, criticizes the concentration of executive authority and calls for institutional governance reforms. Broadcaster Radio Free Asia examined the communication, tracking its circulation across overseas message boards amid aggressive digital censorship inside China’s firewall.
China amended its constitution in 2018 to eliminate the longstanding two-term restriction on the presidency, clearing a path for extended leadership tenures. While the authentic identities of the authors remain unverified due to severe domestic penalties for political dissent, the manifesto mirrors persistent underlying debates regarding legal safeguards and institutional succession. Human rights monitors noted that public appeals regarding leadership norms are extraordinarily uncommon given the government’s rigorous surveillance apparatus. Internet censors within China have moved rapidly to purge related keywords and block external web domains sharing excerpts of the appeal.
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Sources:
https://www.rfa.org/english/china/2026/10/26/xi-jinping-term-limits-open-letter/