Pekingology The Broken China Dream
Dec 11, 2025
Minxin Pei, a Professor at Claremont McKenna College and expert on Chinese elite politics, discusses his book, "The Broken China Dream." He shares his intellectual shift from optimism to skepticism regarding China’s reforms. Pei delves into the dual-track economy sparked by agricultural decollectivization and reflects on the critical impacts of the Tiananmen Square protests on China’s political landscape. He contrasts Xi Jinping's regime with previous leaders, likening him to Stalin due to his purges and authoritarian tendencies while exploring the future of China's elite choices.
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Dormant Totalitarian Machine
- Deng preserved totalitarian institutions but suspended totalitarian practices, leaving a dormant coercive machine.
- That left China able to revive full authoritarian control later without rebuilding institutions.
Zhao Ziyang’s Missed Reform Opportunity
- Zhao Ziyang drafted a blueprint in 1986–87 to convert totalitarianism into an authoritarian system and genuinely tried to change the state.
- Deng reviewed it but did not push it, and the opportunity to reform was lost.
How Rural Reform Created Private Growth
- Decollectivizing agriculture unintentionally created a private sector with labor, entrepreneurs, and capital.
- That allowed China to "grow out of the plan" while leaving large, politically sensitive SOEs intact.
