Is China snubbing North Korea? Xi borrows from Mao playbook 'On China:' Can Xi Jinping lead?
Economic primacy
Indeed, Xi is not wishy-washy on the belief that economic growth is essential to political and social stability -- and the survival of the Communist Party.
"Xi Jinping's core aim is to rejuvenate the Communist Party in order to push through drastic free market reforms that he believes will make China a modern, prosperous world power," says Sidney Rittenberg, a seasoned China-watcher and author of "The Man Who Stayed Behind", a book about his experiences in China.
"This means nothing less than a new revolution in China."
To succeed, "Xi must overcome resistance from jaded bureaucrats who stand to lose power and privileges."
"New revolution"
Even as Xi seeks to silence dissent and consolidate power, he has started to address sensitive issues. Some of his planned reforms are aspirational, some are underway, but all have the potential to drastically affect the Chinese political, social and economic landscape in China.
Chief among these is the issue of labor camps, which operate outside the judicial system and have been blamed for human rights abuses and injustices. Xi's reform system could have a direct impact on this system.
He's also taken to task the draconian and unpopular one-child policy, which have been blamed for cases of forced abortion and infanticide -- late last year the government announced plans to relax the restrictions, chiefly for parents who were single children themselves.
He also plans to liberalize the "hukou" residence registration system, which restricts rural migrants' rights in cities, freeing up migration and, in theory at least, developing a more mobile, dynamic workforce.
Economically, he proposes allowing increased competition in state-dominated industries, further moving the country away from an outdated, inefficient centralized model. He's also looking to drastically alter the country's definition of economic success, by ending the obsession with GDP growth and instead aim for quality, not quantity.
One of the more eye-catching reforms that Xi has in mind, perhaps crucially, is a plan to build a more independent judiciary. The political impact of a move away from the much-maligned system remains to be seen.
Xi's boldest gambit so far, however, is the anti-corruption campaign which has already snared thousands of bureaucrats, military officers and enterprise managers. They include scores of formerly powerful senior leaders in the Communist Party and the military.
Long-term strategy
"He is tactically focusing on the soft targets -- corruption, inefficiency in the state sector, reform of fiscal decision-making -- before moving onto much harder ones," says Brown.
Xi is expected to stay in the No. 1 seat for eight more years, assuming he will get a second five-year tenure, as has been the unwritten norm since Deng Xiaoping's death in 1997.
Long-term, he faces a tougher challenge.
"Growth alone is not enough," says Brown. "Equity, balance and political issues are demanding some answers."
"Xi and his leadership have to convince enough Chinese that the good years ahead are worth sacrifice now, and that it is worth continuing to invest in the current political model because it will deliver the 'rich and strong nation' that has been the Chinese Dream since 1949."
Regardless of the direction he is pursuing, Xi's strength and conviction should be enough to ensure that his own vision is realized.