Willy’s Corner
The Coronavirus Pandemic and the Rise of Chinese Civil Society
Introduction: China’s Civil Society Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic According to figures provided by People’s Republic of China (PRC) authorities, the COVID-19 pandemic peaked in early March. One day after Chinese Communist Party (CCP) General Secretary Xi Jinping made his only inspection tour of Wuhan on... MORE
Beijing’s Appointment of Xia Baolong Signals a Harder Line on Hong Kong
Introduction Beijing has signaled a much tougher policy toward the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) with the announcement on February 13 that Xia Baolong (夏宝龙), the Vice-Chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), would take up a concurrent appointment as Director of... MORE
How the Wuhan Epidemic Has Dented Xi Jinping’s Authority and Prestige
Introduction In his telephone conversation with President Trump on February 6, Chinese Communist Party (CCP) General Secretary Xi Jinping expressed confidence that Beijing can beat the coronavirus outbreak, and asserted that “the fact that China’s economy will be better in the long run will not... MORE
Beijing Piles More Pressure on Taiwan after a Historic Victory by Tsai Ing-Wen
Introduction How will Beijing react to Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen’s resounding re-election victory on January 11, when she garnered a historic 8 million votes, or 57.13 percent of the electorate? So far, Beijing’s response to this triumph by the candidate of the theoretically pro-independence Democratic... MORE
The Central Committee Fourth Plenum Gives Further Powers to the CCP Leadership “Core”
Introduction Is the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) finally putting systems and institutions before the rule of personality? The much-delayed Fourth Plenum of the 19th CCP Central Committee, an annual meeting of about 300 top cadres that wrapped up on October 31, passed a “Decision on... MORE
Xi Signals a New Round of “Struggle” Against Foes in the Party
A Renewed Call for “Struggle” Within the CCP Chinese Communist Party (CCP) General Secretary Xi Jinping has called for a season of renewed douzheng (斗争), or “struggle,” to tackle the country’s international and domestic problems. To further consolidate his position as the “eternal core” of... MORE
Will Xi Jinping Deploy the PLA Garrison to Quell Hong Kong’s “Turmoil”?
Introduction: The CCP Confronts “Turmoil” in Hong Kong A central question surrounding the Hong Kong protests is whether People’s Republic of China (PRC) President and Commander-in-Chief Xi Jinping will deploy the local People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Garrison to quell the “turmoil” in the Special Administration... MORE
Xi Jinping Evokes the “Original Aspirations” of the Communist Party— While Seeking to Further Consolidate His Hold on Power
Introduction Beijing is preparing for a host of major meetings and anniversaries in the months ahead. The first of these will be the annual senior leadership summer retreat at the Beidaihe resort in early August, when current Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Politburo members meet with... MORE
The June 4th Massacre and the Militarization of Chinese Politics
Introduction: The Legacy of June 1989 Although the wounds of the June 4, 1989 massacre thirty years ago have not healed, it is imperative that the right lessons be drawn from perhaps the worst blunder of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in the Era of... MORE
China’s Seventh-Generation Leadership Emerges onto the Stage
Introduction—Could the Seventh Generation Be the Next in Power? Much of China’s future lies in the hands of cadres born in the 1970s—officials belonging to the “Seventh Generation” (7G) of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). In the last quarter of 2018, a dozen-odd of these... MORE