THE shock decision by China’s Communist Party to remove the term limits for the country’s president and allow Xi Jinping to rule for life will surely have repercussions on the Philippines and the rest of the region, particularly on military and economic diplomacy.

The official Xinhua news agency announced the move of the party’s Central Committee to strike the term limits off the Chinese Constitution on Sunday, and this is expected to become official in early March when China’s parliament – the National People’s Congress – convenes for its annual legislative session.