Xi Jinping: Rise of China's Powerful New Strongman
Xi Jinping has emerged as China's most powerful leader since Mao Zedong, marking a significant shift from China's previous "collective leadership" model to a more centralized, authoritarian approach.
Xi Jinping seated in formal attire
As General Secretary of the Communist Party of China, Xi comes from the "Red Second Generation" - children of Communist China's founders who advocate for hardline communist principles and view Western values as threats. His leadership style closely parallels that of Russia's Vladimir Putin, with both leaders seeking to counterbalance American global influence.
Key aspects of Xi's leadership include:
- Aggressive anti-corruption campaigns targeting moderate reformers
- Opposition to Western democratic values and institutions
- Strengthened China-Russia relations, including joint military exercises
- Creation of China-led regional groups like the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO)
- Territorial assertions in the East and South China Seas
- Promotion of a personality cult with state media calling him "Xi Dada" (Big Papa Xi)
The China-Russia partnership represents a significant power shift eastward, with both nations often opposing Western interests in the UN Security Council. China under Xi is actively building alternative international structures through initiatives like the SCO, which excludes the United States while incorporating Central Asian nations.
Xi's approach to maintaining power includes:
- Suppressing pro-democracy movements, as seen in Hong Kong
- Characterizing Western influence as "hostile forces"
- Studying the Soviet Union's collapse to prevent similar outcomes in China
- Building regional alliances to counter U.S. influence
- Asserting territorial claims against neighboring countries
This marks a return to geopolitical competition between major powers, challenging the post-Cold War assumption that Western democratic values would become universal. China's rise under Xi, combined with Russia's resurgence under Putin, signals a new era of international relations defined by competing power centers rather than unified global governance.
The alliance between these two Eurasian powers, both led by strongmen with similar worldviews, represents a significant challenge to the U.S.-led international order and suggests continued global tension as nations compete for resources, territory, and influence.
Photo by Michel Temer/Global Panorama/CC BY-SA 2.0
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