Latest Articles about politics
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The Legacy of Li Peng in Chinese Politics
Introduction Amid a flurry of late July news stories related to China—to include continuing unrest in Hong Kong, U.S.-China trade talks, and joint Sino-Russian military flights over the Sea of Japan that touched off a confrontation with Republic of Korea aircraft (China Brief, July 30)—the... MORE
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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
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Hong Kong’s Crisis and Prospects for the Pro-Democracy Movement
Introduction—Disputes Over the Extradition Bill Spill into the Streets of Hong Kong On Sunday, June 9, just over one million Hong Kong residents took part in a protest rally against the introduction of the “Fugitive Offenders and Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Legislation (Amendment)... MORE
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The Tiananmen Massacre Remembered at 30 Years: The Chinese Communist Party’s Political and Military Considerations
Introduction—Divisions Within the Communist Party Set the Stage for Tiananmen We don’t know how many demonstrators or ordinary citizens were killed during the Tiananmen Massacre, but it was bloody and brutal. After June 4, 1989, the CCP set the death toll at 200—of which it... MORE
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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
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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
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Grasping Power with Both Hands: Social Credit, the Mass Line, and Party Control
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has long claimed that only it can lead the Chinese people to prosperity. This claim underlies Deng Xiaoping’s famous saying that China must “grab with both hands, grasping firmly with both” (两手抓, 两手都要硬). Implied in Deng’s message is that the... MORE