Xi Jinping’s Maoist Revival

Issue Date July 2016
Volume 27
Issue 3
Page Numbers 83-97
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After making himself one of the most powerful leaders in PRC history, Xi Jinping launched the largest ideological campaign that China has seen since Mao—a mixture of communism, nationalism, and Leninism that is meant to strengthen and discipline the CCP, reinforce its grip on power, maintain political stability, and (more nebulously) achieve the “China dream” of national rejuvenation. Xi’s ideological gambit now looks less like a show of strength than an embarrassing confession of regime fragility in a twenty-first century China buffeted by fears of economic slowdown, impatient liberals, and a public angered by rampant corruption.

About the Author

Suisheng Zhao is professor at the Josef Korbel School of International Studies, University of Denver. He is executive director of the university’s Center for China-U.S. Cooperation and editor of the Journal of Contemporary China.

View all work by Suisheng Zhao