GoodFellows: Conversations from the Hoover Institution Caveman Marxists: Frank Dikötter on Whether China Is a Fiery Dragon or a Paper Tiger | GoodFellows | Hoover Institution
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May 27, 2025 
Frank Dikötter, a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution and expert on modern China, unpacks the complexities of China's power dynamics. He discusses Xi Jinping's leadership, contrasting it with Trump's ideologies, and questions the true military readiness regarding Taiwan. The conversation dives into China's economic struggles, its manufacturing might, and the impact of historical events like the Cultural Revolution on current policies. Additionally, Dikötter reflects on the challenges of negotiating with an authoritarian state and the broader geopolitical implications of China's ambitions.
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Xi Jinping's Ideological Stance
- Xi Jinping is a dictator blending hubris and paranoia, keeping his thought tightly controlled.
- He remains firmly committed to Marxism-Leninism, emphasizing absolute state power and monopoly over production.
Listen to China's Own Words
- Primary sources reveal China's true Marxist-Leninist doctrine, unlike many secondary interpretations.
- Xi Jinping's regime persistently upholds core socialist principles publicly and prominently in media.
China's Economic Control Mechanism
- China remains a Marxist economy with 99.5% of banking assets state-controlled and all land state-owned.
- The state wields vast control over 300 million migrant workers deprived of welfare and rights.
