Xi Jinping’s entrenched position as General Secretary, reinforced by repeated purges of senior military and party officials that have eliminated potential rivals and filled key posts with loyalists, underpins the 95.7 percent trader consensus that he will remain in power through the end of 2026. With no designated successor in the Politburo Standing Committee or Central Military Commission and the next leadership transition scheduled only for the 21st Party Congress in late 2027, institutional pathways for removal before that date remain absent. Recent unverified health rumors following his September 2026 BRICS appearance produced no shift in pricing, as Xi continued high-level diplomacy. Only an unforeseen acute health event, major policy crisis, or elite backlash outside established norms could realistically alter the outcome before the resolution deadline.