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The Chinese Communist School of Hard Knocks: How Xi Jinping's Father Shaped China's Current Tough Guy Leader

Aug 3, 2025
Joseph Torigian, a political science professor and Xi Jinping's father's biographer, reveals the harsh realities that shaped China’s current leader. He discusses Xi’s genuine toughness forged through adversity, contrasting it with more performative leadership styles. Torigian also examines how Xi’s upbringing affects his governance, the evolution of China's ethnic policies under Xi, and the dangerous leader-dependence of the political system. The interplay of loyalty, suffering, and historical legacy provides a deeper understanding of modern Chinese power dynamics.
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INSIGHT

Xi Jinping's Father's Harsh Purges

  • Xi Jinping's father endured harsh purges, including imprisonment and exile, for 16 years.
  • This brutal past shaped Xi Jinping's resilience and understanding of political power struggles.
INSIGHT

Xi Jinping's Toughness and Cunning

  • Xi Jinping was forged by suffering during the Cultural Revolution, which taught him resilience and caution.
  • He learned to be tough but also cunning, balancing power and patience in politics.
INSIGHT

Strongman Leadership in China

  • China remains a leader-centric system where strong centralized rule is seen as necessary.
  • Xi Jinping embraces the strongman model to maintain party unity and prevent chaos like the Cultural Revolution.
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