Odd Lots Joseph Torigian on Xi Zhongxun and Elite Chinese Communist Party Politics
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Aug 7, 2025 
Joseph Torigian, a research fellow at Stanford and author of a biography on Xi Zhongxun, sheds light on the opaque politics of the Chinese Communist Party. He discusses the historical influences of Mao and Deng, revealing the intricacies of factionalism and the legacy of the Cultural Revolution. The conversation highlights how Xi Zhongxun’s struggles inform contemporary governance under his son, Xi Jinping. Torigian also draws surprising connections between literature and political dynamics, offering unique insights into the CCP's inner workings.
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Xi's Regime Immortality Strategy
- Xi Jinping aims to immortalize the regime through party history education.
- Studying the legacy of revolutionaries is central to his moral education project.
Why CCP Members Joined
- Early CCP members often joined for meaning and purpose, not ideology alone.
- They sought agency amid national chaos and felt communism was a historical inevitability.
Ambiguity Defines CCP Deputy Roles
- CCP deputies operate with ambiguous orders from top leaders.
- Success requires loyalty, caution, and reading shifting political expectations carefully.
