China elite politics

China’s Third Plenum Is Long Overdue. That’s a Red Flag.

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China’s Third Plenum Is Long Overdue. That’s a Red Flag.

For observers of Chinese politics, the most significant development in the second half of 2023 was not what occurred, but rather what failed to happen: The 20th Central Committee’s Third Plenum, which typically takes place in late October or early November the year after the National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), was notably … Read more

Xi Jinping’s Balancing Acts: Short-Term Gain, Long-Term Pain? 

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Maoist Thought and Xi Jinping’s Leadership 

While predicting China’s trajectory has always been fraught with danger, there are a few trend lines that provide some guidance. These trend lines stem from what the Asia Society Policy Institute’s Neil Thomas has astutely framed as Xi Jinping’s three “balancing acts”: balancing economic growth with security, balancing diplomatic “struggle” against the United States with … Read more