Xi Jinping's Marxist nationalism

In the last few years, there have been multiple attempts by scholars to understand and analyze the thoughts of Xi Jinping. This is because as General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and President of the People's Republic of China (PRC), he has managed to change the discourse on China's domestic and foreign policy.

- GUNJAN SINGH

In the last few years, there have been multiple attempts by scholars to understand and analyze the thoughts of Xi Jinping. This is because as General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and President of the People's Republic of China (PRC), he has managed to change the discourse on China's domestic and foreign policy. Given the opaque nature of the CPC's functioning, one is always left wondering how and why things happen and what the world can expect from Xi. Understanding Xi's policies are also crucial because China is central to the international system. That is why this book by Kevin Rudd, who channels his years of experience of working with China, is an essential read.

The author conducts a detailed and nuanced reading of all the texts, speeches and directives by Xi and concludes that the Chinese leader is determined to strengthen ideology, change global norms in China's favor, and leave a legacy of his thoughts as the driving mandate for the CPC.

The major theme of the book is that Xi has abandoned Deng Xiaoping's dictum to "hide the strength, and bide the time." Under Xi, China is ready to flex its muscles. The primary argument is that China under Xi is moving left on the economy and right on foreign policy. The author calls this "Xi's Marxist Nationalism." The clampdown on the private sector has been the norm under Xi, who perceives its existence as an aberration to CPC tenets. The trend is towards the "contraction of the private sphere and expansion of the public sphere controlled by the party."