“Who is Xi?” Xi Jinping, husband Peng Liyuan. Ten years ago, when he rose to the scepter, many Chinese saw him as the partner of a famous opera singer who attended New Year’s television premieres. Yet power quickly grew into something broader, a force that can shape careers and quiet worries across a vast system already saturated with personality-driven leadership.
Both bold moves and a clear sense of historical context helped propel his ascent. Deng Xiaoping, the architect of reform, warned that extremism could arise from concentrated power. The emphasis shifted from the single leader to the party itself. Each subsequent president appeared weaker than the last, and the Standing Committee became the visible engine of policy. The internal checks and balances exposed seams over the past decade, as the seven or nine members wrestled with economic reform, social inequality, environmental protection, and pervasive corruption that eroded social legitimacy. Hu Jintao’s era showed a restrained presidency, constrained by prior deals and by the dynamic of factional influence rather than by lack of intent.
The diagnosis was stark: both party and country risked a dangerous precipice. The proposed cure leaned toward more centralized authority and quicker, more decisive action. Xi seemed to be the right man to energize the party, backed by a lineage of party service rather than clan affiliation. The party anticipated a wave, and a tsunamI responded by concentrating leadership: he took charge of the party, the government, and the army, and displaced loyalists from top military posts.
centralization of power
“He has placed trusted allies in the highest positions in the world, extending control over the army and recently over intelligence services,” notes a leading observer. One associate, Chen Xi, directs the party’s organizational department, which decides on key appointments at provincial and central levels. Another close ally, Huang Kunming, heads the propaganda department, curating a steady stream of laudatory messages that reinforce the leader’s image. These insights come from recognized scholars tracking China’s political evolution than a decade under Xi’s rule [citation: Harvard Kennedy School].
The anti-corruption campaign solidified centralized authority while purging ranks that might challenge the center. The arrest of Zhou Yongkang, a former Standing Committee member, underscored that no one is immune. This political tightening helped to codify the core leadership idea, a doctrine that elevated Xi Jinping to a position equal in stature to Mao and Deng. A constitutional amendment in 2017 removed presidential term limits, reinforcing a framework where the leader’s influence could endure beyond a single decade [citation: academic analyses].
popular support
Efficiency framed Xi’s public image, aligning state power with the ability to enforce policy. The leadership tackled entrenched problems affecting ordinary lives, including local corruption, environmental crises, and food-safety scandals. Although housing prices and other market pressures persisted, many citizens perceived progress and direction. Xi’s approach also reshaped public perception by breaking the traditional technocratic model, earning the nickname Xi Dada or Uncle Xi among many. His image included down-to-earth moments, such as sharing dumplings in a Beijing eatery or visiting rural barracks without heavy fanfare, while quietly bolstering his spouse’s public profile. Institutions such as Harvard and Pew have been cited as benchmarks in assessing public sentiment in China, with popular support cited near two-thirds or higher in some polls, though interpretations vary across sources [citation: various public opinion studies]. If the party ever turned away from this leadership, it would confront substantial public and internal resistance.
As one analyst observed, every Chinese leader answers a particular historical moment. Xi’s rise is linked not only to his anti-corruption stance or his management of factional struggles but also to a newly forged narrative of a strong, unified China. The concept of the Chinese Dream, the rejuvenation of the nation, and a desire for stability and decisive action shaped a national mood that supports rapid policy moves when required [citation: policy analyses].
These internal dynamics carry external implications. Relations with the United States have cooled, and the risk of heightened confrontations remains on the horizon. The assessment of strategic tasking, including military calculations and economic competition, suggests a future where cooperation and tension exist side by side. The nation’s leadership faces that duality, balancing a resolute approach with the necessity of maintaining some level of global stability. The sense of existential challenge that underpins Xi’s authority continues to inform his decisions, shaping the trajectory of China’s role on the world stage [citation: international relations scholars].