Thinking Like a Communist: Xi, the CCP, and the World in the Wake of the 20th Party Congress
Originally published by Yibao
Commentary
The Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) 20th Party Congress was momentous and insight into Xi Jinping’s leadership and impact upon the Party. In historical perspective, this Congress will be seen a significant development with lasting implications for the CCP, China, and for the risk of war in international politics. We consider three of the immediately most significant.
First, in his address Xi proclaimed that the CCP has achieved its first centenary goal, building a moderately prosperous society, and has now moved on to achieving the second centenary goal of building China into a modern socialist country in all respects and advancing the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. The implications of this are that Xi is satisfied to convey to domestic and international audiences that China has reached a new standard and should be judged by different metrics. This should be interpreted by the international community as an indication that China now perceives itself, first, as capable of achieving its aims of supplanting the United States and replacing the liberal international order and, second, these actions will be legitimate. The modern socialist country gets to set the rules. Xi stated China will cause institutions to “open-up” regarding their rules, regulations, management, and standards. The world should interpret “opening-up” as institutions bending to the will of the CCP as occurred with the World Health Organization (WHO) from the dawn of the Covid-19 pandemic or the UN’s feckless response to the genocide of Muslim in Xinjiang….