All Hail Chairman Xi Zedong (or, if you're older, Tse-tung), or Else!

China’s rubber-stamp lawmakers have passed a historic constitutional amendment that abolishes term limits and will enable President Xi Jinping to rule indefinitely.

The National People’s Congress’ nearly 3,000 hand-picked delegates endorsed the constitutional amendment Sunday, voting 2,958 in favor with two opposed, three abstaining and one vote invalidated.

I would not be surprised if there hasn't already been six quick executions.

The Chinese Communist Party abolished the job of chairman (Xi is the General Secretary), but don't be too surprised if the title comes back. The Party has been fomenting a cult of personality around Xi (one term for him is "Papa Xi") that has not been seen in China since the days of Mao.

In the long term, this is good news for those nations adverse to China. Autocrats usually stay in office well past the dates that they should retire, for they know that the retirement plan for autocrats tends to consist of something along the lines of a bullet to the back of the head (or a subtle poison). In autocratic regimes, the country stagnates, as bureaucrats and other apparatchicks are loathe to make independent decisions, for fear of being hauled off.

In the near term, things will be more dangerous for nations in the western Pacific Rim. Autocrats have sycophants, not honest advisers. The autocrat is the only one who can run the country, so the autocrat naturally believes that only he knows what path to take.

The next few decades may be a nervous time to live in Taiwan, Vietnam, the Philippines, among other nations.