Power Plays: The Political Intrigues of 1950s China

This is part two of our series with Joseph Torigian, author of the definitive biography of Xi Zhongxun. This episode traces the inner world of a man navigating power politics, exile, and reform, and the legacy he left his son, Xi Jinping.

Against the backdrop of the Great Leap Forward, the Sino-Soviet split, the Cultural Revolution, and reform and opening up, we discuss…

• The moral dilemmas of a mid-level party cadre,

• What it’s like to be purged, and why the party prescribes self-criticism as therapy,

• “Frenemies” in the CCP, Deng Xiaoping’s autocratic side, and the unsung heros of the reform period,

• How Xi Zhongxun instilled party loyalty and other values in his son,

• Xi Zhongxun’s return from exile and his complicated relationship with reform,

• How Chinese leaders think about redemption, guilt, and survival,

• And a bonus: Why the PRC-produced biopic of Xi Zhongxun is so disappointing — and why his life deserves the Star Wars treatment.

Outro music: Teresa Teng - 小城故事 (YouTube Link)

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