Steve Tsang

Opinion | The West needs to better understand Xi Jinping Thought as China becomes more formidable

Steve Tsang says the Chinese leader is no Maoist, but he sees no place for Deng Xiaoping’s style of political experimentation, either. In Xi’s China, citizens may enjoy freedom as consumers and investors, but not as participants in civil society

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Steve Tsang

Published: 2:00am, 7 Feb 2019Updated: 2:45pm, 4 Mar 2019

In October 2017, at the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the party enshrined in its constitution a new political doctrine: “Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era”. At a time when a rapidly modernising China is a leading global player, it is tempting to dismiss this doctrine as anachronistic party-speak from a bygone era. We succumb to this temptation at our peril.

Five months after the constitutional change, the National People’s Congress abolished presidential term limits, meaning that, barring a political earthquake, Xi – who, at 65, remains healthy and vigorous – could remain president for perhaps another 20 years. His eponymous doctrine will therefore shape China’s development and global engagement for decades to come, and perhaps longer.

In a sense, the inclusion of Xi’s name and thought in the party constitution gave him the same exalted status as the People’s Republic’s founding father, Mao Zedong, as well as the architect of China’s modernisation, Deng Xiaoping – the only other leaders mentioned in the document. This, together with the removal of term limits, has led many to argue that Xi is the most powerful Chinese leader since Mao.

But, even if true, this does not mean that Xi is attempting to restore Maoist totalitarianism. While Xi has a much more positive view of China’s Maoist past than any other leader since Deng, he is no Maoist.

Instead, Xi’s approach to governance closely resembles that of China’s first president under Mao, Liu Shaoqi, a devoted Leninist who selectively adapted Confucian ideas to build a Sinicised party-state.