It was an event that is not seen every day: the Chinese head of state Xi Jinping invited to the party conference. After the meeting of loyalists and delegates, he is now starting his third term in office - and ex-President Hu Jintao is apparently feeling Xi's power. He was led out of the hall at the party congress. Involuntarily, as pictures suggest, because of discomfort, Chinese state media oppose it.

For Xi, on the other hand, the party congress was a complete success. However, the German media take a critical view of this. The opinions from the press at a glance:

"Süddeutsche Zeitung": "This revolution will shape China for the next decade and sweep the world with it. Externally, it is reflected in the absolute control that Xi Jinping is now exercising over the CP. This party apparatus has often shown cracks in the past - not anymore. Xi's methods of rule are barely visible, but their effect is powerful: competing party currents have dried up. The private sector, similar to the Russian oligarchy, has been relegated to its place. The military and security apparatus are loyal to the chairman."

"Volksstimme" (Magdeburg): "Since the weekend at the latest, China's head of state and party leader Xi Jinping has been the sole ruler of the world's most populous state. In the inner circle of leaders there are only loyal followers of the 69-year-old, who now calls himself either 'outstanding leader' or The People's Congress has warned of what threatens real or suspected critics: Xi's direct predecessor, the comparatively moderate Hu Jintao, was arrested in front of live cameras and his name has been censored in Chinese search engines ever since. This is oppressively reminiscent of North Korea: Nine years ago, ruler Kim Jong-un also had his uncle Jang Song Thaek taken live in front of TV cameras and later executed.The West, with its strong economic dependence on the Middle Kingdom, must be clear: 'Change through trade' failed. China has become the People's Republic of Xina – with one of the most dangerous en men in the world at the top."

"OM Medien": "The present promises a China that has finally arrived in the age of dictatorship. Collective governance is giving way to the ideology of an autocrat who has always been alien to terms such as human rights, democracy or freedom. A fatal signal, not only for the approximately 1.4 billion Chinese who now have to fear even more reprisals.The reach for Taiwan or the new Silk Road are only the harbingers of what may be in store for the world: a China that wants to dictate the fate of the planet and the world openly calls for competition between autocracy and democracy."

"Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung": "So far, Xi Jinping's China has not been a country to which Germany should carelessly entrust its critical infrastructure. This is all the more true after the most recent party congress. The top management body in Beijing now only has men who give Xi their careers have to thank. No resistance is to be expected from them should the head of state and party continue to keep his country on a collision course with the West and rely on state dirigisme in the economy. All those who stood for more pragmatism were sidelined. Nothing, "What has happened in the past few days indicates that Xi could moderate himself in the future. On the contrary: he has made it clear that he sees the party's hold on power threatened by the American policy of containment."

"Augsburger Allgemeine": "The times when the West could cooperate with China in a comparatively pragmatic way, as long as only the economy benefited from it, are over. In the future, governments, especially in Europe, will have to ask themselves how they want to cooperate with a system which has become unpredictable. In recent months, Russia has clearly demonstrated how high the risk of questionable business transactions is for its own people. The problem is: it won't work entirely without China either. This is not good news for the global economy. Instead Starting the growth engine together, the nations block each other. China is increasingly becoming a risk factor."

"Nordwest Zeitung": "It's a bad joke that there are still German politicians who are defending China's conquest of Hamburg. A political decision was made in Beijing at the weekend - towards even more extreme authoritarian rule. Do we want to influence such people grant our economy? China is primarily a system opponent and competitor, not a partner. Beijing is also pursuing consistent economic imperialism. The 'new Silk Road' project is designed to bring other nations permanently into dependency. In Europe, China is already working on a dozen in this context Ports involved. This is a targeted economic influence buying program. Conclusion: Xi, take your millions and go home!"

"Märkische Oder-Zeitung": "Xi Jinping is entering his third term in office and from now on will only rule the most populous country on earth with loyal yes-men at his side. This finally makes the Chinese head of state and party leader one of the most dangerous men this planet. How should we react to this threat? The population should reconsider the use of the data octopus TikTok. The algorithm is so effective because it has learned a lot about people through the total surveillance of its own population. Through the hype surrounding the video platform in the West "Xi is now also learning a lot more about us than would be healthy. Politicians, in turn, should absolutely avoid letting the fragile mutual dependence with the Middle Kingdom become unnecessarily one-sided."