Xi Jinping’s continued dominance within the Chinese Communist Party underpins the overwhelming trader consensus against his removal before 2027. At 73, he faces no formal term limits after the 2018 constitutional change and shows no public intent to retire or designate a successor ahead of the 21st Party Congress expected in late 2027. Recent military purges, including the September 2026 expulsion of senior commanders, have further centralized authority rather than eroded it, while opaque elite networks and loyalty-focused personnel processes limit visible challenges. Sporadic health speculation, including reports of him skipping a BRICS dinner in September 2026, has not altered his schedule of international engagements or domestic control. Realistic shifts would require an unforeseen health crisis, sudden incapacity, or rare internal upheaval capable of overriding his institutional grip before year-end.