■ China, Xi Jinping Confirmed the Third Term 

Xi Jinping confirmed his third term, not surprisingly. He became the only Chinese politician who has governed for more than 15 years after Mao Zedong.

The 20th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party (National Congress) was held from October 16th to 22nd. “Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era” was adopted, and the list of 205 members of the Central Committee and 171 alternative members was concluded at this National Congress.

Xi Jinping actually made a move to solidify the one-person authority system. Li Keqiang, the Central government Premier in the second rank who had a close relationship with Hu Jintao, and Wang Yang Political Advice Bureau Chairman in the fourth rank, were excluded from the list of central members. It is unusual that they failed it, although they did not get over the upper limit of age 67 for China’s top leadership. People standing with Xi Jinping took place in the new top leadership, and people standing with Hu Jintao were omitted.

Xi Jinping declared that Taiwan would not be independent at the opening of the National Congress, taking a strict stand on unification. How his third term will affect domestic and international diplomacy, security, and economy will be paid attention to.

■  Brazil, President Lula’s Return

Lula finally returns as president after 12 years; Brazil concluding the most opposing election of left-wing and right-wing in its politics ever.

Former president Lula got 50.9% in the runoff election on October 30th and won with a 1.8%p difference, having fought with extreme ideological contraposition with current president Borsonaro. He served as Brazil’s president for 8 years, from 2003 to 2010.

Brazil’s left-wing and right-wing divided obviously as Lula, called leftist in Latin America, competed with Borsonaro, who had an ideologically opposite political view. Lula emphasized, “I will serve as president for the whole of Brazil.”

■  No Exit in Russia’s War

The war between Russia and Ukraine has been proceeding for about 250 days and is still tense. 

Russian President Putin said that he would issue partial mobilization targeting the reserve forces having military experiences in September. However, it was not “partial” mobilization but nearly “the whole forcing mobilization.” According to Bloomberg, about 400 thousand people escaped to neighborhood countries to avoid conscription. The case where new recruits who were not appropriately trained died in the war after a few days of entering the battlefield is increasing.

Russia was likely to use nuclear weapons. Russia suggested the suspicion that Ukraine is preparing for the use of a “dirty bomb,” however, the USA, France, and the UK treated it as nonsense. A dirty bomb is a bomb made in an old way with radioactive materials. It does not have the destructive powers like nuclear weapons, but contaminates the vast surrounding area with radioactivity when it explodes. With Russia’s suspicion, Ukraine’s President Zelensky asserted that Russia is trying to pass the responsibility of using a nuclear weapon to Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Kremlin said that the annual practice of the nuclear forces finished successfully with Putin’s attendance for the first time after the invasion, on October 26th.

■  UK, New Prime Minister Took Office After 50 Days 

The first non-white, Hindu British prime minister took office. 

Rishi Sunak served as Britain’s new prime minister since he was elected in the Conservative Party leadership election as the only candidate. Sunak is the first non-white and Hindu prime minister in the UK and also the youngest leader in 210 years since prime Minister William Pitt. He came into office officially on October 25th, met the king of England, and gave his first speech as a prime minister to the country. As the UK has to solve difficult tasks like inflation and consolidation of the Conservative Party, the new prime minister’s actions are more important.

On one side, former prime minister Truss took office on September 6th and proposed tax cuts of about 4.5 billion pounds and expansion of financial spending as economic plans. However, she finished the shortest term in office, 50 days, as she suffered chaos in the financial situation, such as the slump of the pound value and run-up of the interest rates of government bonds.

Reporter Lee Yoon-Seo

Translated by Lee Yoon-Seo