Data Uncovers Xi Jinping's Policy Agenda: How has the concentration of power changed policy?

In the autumn of 2022, the Xi Jinping administration entered its third term. Since taking office as general secretary of the Communist Party in October 2012, Xi Jinping has overturned the traditional practices and rules that defined power relations within the Communist Party leadership, concentrating power in his own hands. This is why he has earned the moniker “the most powerful leader since Mao Zedong.”

Consequently, many studies have explored the factors that led to the concentration of power in Xi Jinping. However, empirical examination of the impact of this power concentration on Chinese politics and administration remain insufficient. In this essay, we introduce our analysis of Xi Jinping's policy agenda (Lim, Ito, and Zhang 2024 or Lim, Ito, and Zhang 2023 in the RIETI Policy Discussion Paper version) to examine the relationship between power dynamics and policy. Our study confirmed clear changes in the content and structure of the policy agenda from the first Xi Jinping administration to the second one.

Politics and policy in the Xi Jinping era

The concentration of power in the hands of a single leader is not unique among authoritarian regimes. However, given that the essence of elite politics lies in the competition and cooperation among elites over power sharing, the excessive concentration of power in one individual suggests that some problems have arisen within elite politics. Particularly during China’s reform and opening-up period, efforts were made to establish a collective leadership system and curb the concentration of power as a reflection on the Mao Zedong era. In this context, the concentration of power in Xi Jinping represents a conundrum that warrants thorough examination.

To read the full text:
https://www.rieti.go.jp/en/special/policy-update/115.html

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