Politburo — 9DASHLINE

Xi, the state, and war

Written by Maximilian Ernst

Hence, before looking for clues to Chinese foreign policy in the personalities of Chinese leaders, foreign policy analysts would be well advised to first direct their attention to the international level.

East Asia9DLDecember 22, 20229dashline, Xi, the state, and war, Maximilian Ernst, Xi the state and war, Waltz, Kenneth Waltz, 20th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), Chinese President Xi Jinping, Xi Jinping, Chinese Communist Party (CCP), General Secretary of the Party, Central Military Commission (CMC), Central Committee, Politburo, Standing Committee of the Politburo, party factions, former President Hu Jintao, Hu Jintao, Sino-US competition, rising power, military, military-strategic, personality, China’s foreign policy, Taiwan, south china sea, US, opposition, Zhongnanhai, Bo Xilai, counterfactual, structural perspective, international relations, international relations theory, geography, economic power, military power, units in an international system, security, wealth, CCP establishment, Chinese Communist Youth League, Shanghai Gang, Neo-Maoist faction, Kerry Brown, elites, Reform and Opening policies, Deng Xiaoping, Hide-and-Bide, 韬光养晦, Hide-and-Bide strategy, responsible stakeholder, Bind-and-Hedge phase, post-Tiananmen, WTO, Shape-and-Restructure phase, pivot to Asia, rebalancing, first island chain, alliance, Kuril Islands, Japan, Philippines, Malay Peninsula, COVID-19 pandemic, Belt and Road Initiative, Winnie the Pooh

A litany of economic woes but in China politics rules

Written by Jabin T. Jacob

In the run-up to the 20th Party Congress later this year, the CCP under General Secretary Xi can be expected to engage ever more seriously with China’s economic problems.

The People’s Liberation Army: Xi’s power base in the Communist Party Central Committee

Written by Manoj Kewalramani and Megha Pardhi

Ahead of the 20th Party Congress, and given the importance of the military in solidifying the CCP’s power, tracking changes in the representation of the People's Liberation Army in the Party Central Committee is important to understand Xi Jinping’s power base.

The politics of Shanghai’s lockdown

Written by Eric Hundman

Disagreements between officials who rise through Shanghai’s ‘political hotbed’ and those in other factions have long been key to understanding the intra-CCP political dynamics and personnel shifts so important for determining policy outcomes.

Realising the Great Change: Beijing’s South China Sea lawfare strategy

Written by Ryan Lucas

Too often, foreign policy analysts have focused principally on the hard power component of China’s ambitions in the South China Sea. This security-centric approach, while important, risks downplaying a critical piece of China’s South China Sea strategy in the post-pandemic era.