China politics

Since Xi Jinping took office, his anti-corruption efforts have expanded beyond the confines of the CCP itself.

A botched response to the Beijing outbreak could dent the Communist Party’s reputation and with it, top leader Xi Jinping’s room for maneuver.

The Shanghai lockdown highlighted pre-existing fault lines in China between state and society, as well as the central and local governments.

The CCP's approach to pandemic management incentivizes officials to double down on extreme measures without regard for the costs.

Answering that requires first answering another question: How much sway will previous norms hold in Chinese politics in 2022?

The rise of aerospace specialists like Ma Xingrui and Zhang Hongwen is a notable exception to the Xi era turn away from technocracy and engineer-politicians.

Despite Beijing’s recent attempts to sell its own version of democracy, China’s “consultative democracy” has been on a downslide since Xi came to power.

Insights from Trey McArver.

The attempt to frame an alternative model of democracy highlights a shift in the CCP’s quest for legitimacy.

Insights from Ming Xia.

Chen Gang will likely enter the Politburo in 2027. His experience governing technoindustrial clusters will be a valuable skill set for top governance positions through the 2020s.

Chen Min'er has long been near the top of China’s governance structure. His development as a likeness to Xi means he is now the conduit between the elder and younger factions of Xi’s New Core.