Abstract
Throughout China’s extensive history, the country’s leader has invariably played a pivotal role in determining its fate. As we look towards the future, the question arises: How will Xi Jinping influence China’s path and its position within the global order? This chapter argues that Xi Jinping’s ascent to power and his highly concentrated personal authority were not an accident or just a temporary phenomenon. The chapter emphasises the crucial role that the inherent inertia of the Party system plays, and the policies and strategic paths set by past leaders. These factors have profoundly influenced China over the years, thereby significantly constraining and shaping the range of options and decisions available to Xi Jinping today. To facilitate a better understanding of Xi Jinping’s decision-making, the chapter proposes a lens of Xi Jinping’s ‘founder’ mentality. This viewpoint, stemming from the author’s personal observations of Xi Jinping, aims to offer fresh perspectives on his actions and decisions.
“ Xi is driven by a deep sense of personal integrity, personal destiny and the decisive role that he is to play in bringing about two historical missions for his country: first, national rejuvenation… and second, saving the Communist Party itself from the cancer of corruption.” (Rudd, 2015)
—Kevin Rudd, the 26th Prime Minister of Australia
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Notes
- 1.
Anonymous (2021).
- 2.
Ibid.
- 3.
Ibid. p. 7.
- 4.
Kissinger (1994).
- 5.
Ibid.
- 6.
Ibid.
- 7.
Central Government of People’s Republic of China (2008).
- 8.
Ibid.
- 9.
Kissinger (2011).
- 10.
Ibid.
- 11.
Ibid.
- 12.
Ibid.
- 13.
Schuman (2020).
- 14.
Ibid.
- 15.
Allison (2019).
- 16.
Rudd (2015).
- 17.
Brown (2016).
- 18.
Ibid.
- 19.
Ibid. p. 275.
- 20.
Ibid. p. 280.
- 21.
Allison (2019).
- 22.
Schuman (2020).
- 23.
Ibid. p. 310.
- 24.
Gueorguiev (2018).
- 25.
Ibid.
- 26.
Ibid.
- 27.
Ibid.
- 28.
Schell and Delury (2013).
- 29.
Ibid.
- 30.
Zhong (2017).
- 31.
Ibid.
- 32.
Ibid.
- 33.
Kennedy (2017).
- 34.
Ibid. p. 448.
- 35.
Schell and Delury (2013).
- 36.
Ibid. p. 260.
- 37.
Fewsmith (2002).
- 38.
Li (2017).
- 39.
Ibid.
- 40.
Liu (2011).
- 41.
Ibid.
- 42.
Ibid.
- 43.
Gueorguiev (2018).
- 44.
Chen (2021).
- 45.
Ibid.
- 46.
Ang (2021).
- 47.
Ibid.
- 48.
Ibid.
- 49.
Ibid.
- 50.
Saich (2020).
- 51.
Goldman (2020).
- 52.
Ibid.
- 53.
Ibid.
- 54.
Li (2013).
- 55.
Gueorguiev (2018).
- 56.
Ibid.
- 57.
Erickson and Collins (2021).
- 58.
Xi (2017).
- 59.
Ibid.
- 60.
Ibid.
- 61.
Leng (2013).
- 62.
Lu (2022).
- 63.
Ibid.
- 64.
Chang (1996). p. 386.
- 65.
Ibid. p. 386.
- 66.
Ibid.
- 67.
Ibid.
- 68.
Leng and Wang (eds.) (2004).
- 69.
David (2007).
- 70.
Jiang (2002).
- 71.
David (2007).
- 72.
Tellis (2005).
- 73.
White House Archive (2017).
- 74.
Congress.Gov (2023).
- 75.
Xi (2023).
- 76.
Kennedy (2017).
- 77.
Fearon (1997).
- 78.
Allison (2019).
- 79.
Ibid.
- 80.
Ibid. p. 63.
- 81.
Johnston (2013).
- 82.
Ibid.
- 83.
Ibid.
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Dong, J. (2023). The Man and the Times: Xi Jinping and the Intricate Dance of History. In: Chinese Statecraft in a Changing World. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-6453-6_9
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