Politico ‘China Watcher’: One Book, Three Questions

You argue that the key to understanding Xi is his identity as a “true Marxist Leninist.” Explain.

For the Chinese Communist Party and for Xi Jinping personally, ideology matters. And when people challenge that or challenge the level of importance we should attach to Xi Jinping’s speeches on ideology, they need to answer this question: If it’s not important, why does he spend 20 percent to 25 percent of his time on this stuff? Why does the system inject such enormous resources into the ideological framing of China’s future, and, frankly, China’s future in the world? 

Xi’s taking China towards the Marxist left in its economic policy settings. And towards the nationalist right in a more assertive approach to its foreign security policy interests in the region.

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