Xi Jinping’s firm consolidation of authority within the Chinese Communist Party, including the 2018 removal of presidential term limits and the absence of any designated successor, underpins the 97.5 percent trader consensus that he will remain in office through 2026. Recent developments reinforce this outlook: preparations for the 21st Party Congress in 2027 focus on internal discipline and generational turnover below the top post, while Xi continues public engagements such as the September 2026 BRICS summit and U.S. meetings despite fleeting health rumors. Ongoing military and party purges have further centralized decision-making around him. Only an unforeseen health crisis or abrupt elite rupture could shift the outcome before the end of 2026, events that lack supporting evidence in current reporting.