Xi Jinping’s consolidated authority within the Chinese Communist Party and People’s Liberation Army, reinforced by repeated high-level purges of military and civilian officials through 2026, underpins traders’ strong consensus that he will remain in office past early 2027. At age 73, he continues to direct foreign policy engagements and internal party discipline measures, including the October 2026 Central Committee plenum focused on governance and loyalty ahead of the 21st Party Congress. No public signals point to voluntary retirement or a named successor at that congress, where a fourth term remains the expected outcome under current elite dynamics. While unverified health reports or an unforeseen elite realignment could theoretically alter timelines, the absence of organized opposition or institutional mechanisms for removal before the congress sustains the elevated implied probability for continuity.