China's Xi stands tall but challenges mounting: analysts

China's front pages were plastered today with images of President Xi Jinping reviewing a giant military parade, but analysts say the show of untrammelled power is undermined by signs of disquiet within Communist ranks and fears the economy is eluding its control.
In less than three years Xi has consolidated authority to a remarkable degree compared with his predecessors, demonstrated when he rode in an open-topped Red Flag limousine past row upon row of soldiers.
"Just symbolically you can see that he is at the apex of his power," said Willy Lam, an expert on Chinese politics at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

Xi has become the "big boss" of the Communist Party, Lam added, far outpacing other top leaders such as Premier Li Keqiang, who was relegated to announcing the start of the parade.
Alongside the president on the rostrum stood his predecessors Jiang Zemin and Hu Jintao in a show of party unity under Xi -- even though some of their close allies have fallen victim to his much-publicised anti-corruption drive.
"At this stage he seems unassailable," Lam said.

Since coming to power in late 2012 as Communist Party general secretary, Xi has pushed what he calls the "Chinese dream", a promise to revitalise the nation so it can assume a world position befitting its status as a great power.

Under him the ruling party has pledged reforms to give the market the "decisive role" in the economy, and his campaign against graft has rocked the 88-million-strong organisation that has ruled the People's Republic since 1949, as well as its armed force, the People's Liberation Army (PLA).
His public image has been burnished by common touch demonstrations such as a visit to a bun shop, as well as the glamour of his wife Peng Liyuan, a popular singer.
Later this month Xi will make a state visit to Washington, affirming what Beijing sees as its equal "great power" status with the United States.

Xi was "full of dignity and did a great job showing off China's qualities", enthused Wang Wei, a spectator at the parade.
But the public displays cannot hide the fact that China faces serious problems, especially slowing growth and financial market turmoil.
The deployment of hundreds of billions of dollars on the exchanges, which failed to stop share prices falling, has spurred concern that Xi and other leaders still have interventionist tendencies and could struggle to handle an increasingly sophisticated economy.