WSJ dives into historical parallels behind Xi Jinping’s political style

The Chairman of the People’s Republic of China, Xi Jinping, is exhibiting a governing style comparable to historical authoritarian leaders such as Joseph Stalin of the Soviet Union and Mao Zedong of China, according to an analysis published by The Wall Street Journal.

The report argues that Xi, like Stalin and Mao, positions himself as a leading communist theorist of his era and has contributed to the development of a strong personal cult of leadership.

The newspaper also highlights several governing patterns attributed to Xi, including the absence of a designated successor, reliance on older and highly loyal officials, and the establishment of strict discipline and surveillance mechanisms within the Communist Party of China and state institutions. 

It further notes that he has removed dozens of senior officials, including close associates, while reinforcing a cult of personality and demanding absolute loyalty. The analysis adds that the scale and intensity of these purges have increased significantly since the start of his third term in 2022.

According to the WSJ, Xi has also revived several political practices reminiscent of the Mao era. He instructed Politburo members to review their work and criticise one another at annual meetings, where assessments extend beyond job performance to include political loyalty. During his first decade in power, he overturned the informal retirement age norms for senior positions and removed the two-term limit for the state presidency.

At the same time, policymaking has become more centralised and less open. In earlier five-year planning cycles, the Chinese government widely sought input from external experts, including the World Bank and foreign economists, but Xi has increasingly reduced the role of such advice. Analysis by the Asia Society Policy Institute suggests that the share of proposals adopted from lower-level party and government bodies, as well as external experts, has also declined in the most recent five-year planning process.

By Jeyhun Aghazada