Xi Jinping: Political Career, Governance, and Leadership, 1953-2018

by Alfred L. Chan

Xi Jinping has proven to be one of the most transformative political leaders of the twenty-first century. After a long career that began at the village level, he became General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party and China's paramount leader in 2012. Few expected what would come a sweeping restructuring of China's political economy and political culture which included anti-corruption campaigns against the Party, and a full recalibration of China's relations with the outside world. In Xi Jinping, Alfred L. Chan offers a comprehensive account of his life and times.

Chan discusses Xi's early years as a "princeling" and his ordeal during the tumultuous Cultural Revolution. Xi's privileged childhood was shattered during his youth when he was mercilessly tormented as a counter-revolutionary, declared a juvenile delinquent and pauper, ultimately becoming an ordinary peasant. But he clawed his way back up a ladder of success reflecting the changing zeitgeist of the times. He entered politics at age seventeen and accumulated administrative experiences at the county and provincial levels. Chan documents Xi's long path upward through the system, revealing how he built a reputation as an astute leader and a corruption fighter.

The second half of the book focuses on the post-2012 period, and Chan pays particular attention to the context surrounding Xi's governance once he consolidated power. He makes clear that Xi's core guiding principle has been Leninism, which prioritizes disciplined party rule above all else. Throughout, Chan applies a range of social scientific theories drawn from comparative politics, international relations theory, public policy, and theories of governance to explain policymaking during an era of turbulent changes. Sweeping in scope and addressing virtually every aspect of Xi's life, this study will be essential for anyone seeking to understand not just Xi himself, but the overlapping global and domestic political contexts that shaped his career and style of rule.

Genres: China, Biography, History, Politics, Nonfiction

728 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 18, 2022

Reviews

[Taxiu · Rating 4 out of 5]

是有一点pro-xi的味道 但与其说作者是自带目的的软性外宣，倒不如说依据现有的可信资料做的研究得出的结论只能是这样的。习近平和中国的未来还很长，这本书只是习近平研究的一个开端。

[William Schlickenmaier · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dense, often biased pro CCP, and yet indispensable.

[Ariyasacca · Rating 2 out of 5]

软文大外宣

[Lionel Flores · Rating 5 out of 5]

Xi Jinping: Political Career, Governance and Leadership was a slow read for me, but a worthwhile one. The book is dense with details about Xi’s rise, his leadership style, and the governing philosophy that underpins modern China. While I am still digesting much of it—especially since Chinese political culture is not something I was very familiar with—I found myself drawn in deeper than I expected.

What surprised me most was how the book didn’t just outline Xi’s career, but also gave me a lens into China’s system of governance, its priorities, and the cultural backdrop that shapes its policies. Reading it sparked in me a kind of obsession: a real desire to better understand China on its own terms, beyond the surface-level impressions we often get in the West.

This isn’t a light or fast read, but if you are interested in leadership, global politics, or trying to understand the mindset of one of the world’s most influential leaders, it’s a valuable book to take your time with.