Let's compare Chinese methods for selecting leaders with those in the West. Who has gotten the more capable leaders in recent decades? In any case, Mr. Xi is speaking to developing countries, telling them that the Chinese model would work better for them. Even I have to admit that our model seems to be serving most developing countries quite poorly, especially in the political realm.

I watched part of Mr. Xi's speech, and it is clear why the vast majority of Chinese support him. He presents a personal image of strength, reason, and good intentions, as well as giving off an only partly false aura of being a common man. And his plans make sense: developing China in stages, and now turning attention more to social welfare than they have been able to do so far. The anti-corruption drive may also be an anti-enemies drive, but it remains popular in China. Even the ideological drive has positive aspects as well as negative: to improve public morality in general, as churches used to do here.