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How Xi Jinping’s China differs from Mao’s



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FOR SEVERAL big reasons it is misleading, even morally indecent, when commentators assert that China is embarking on a new Cultural Revolution. It is true that the Communist Party is today more visible and assertive than at any time since Mao Zedong’s death in 1976. After Xi Jinping became China’s leader in 2012, he unblushingly re-emphasised the party’s authority over everything from the machinery of state and the armed forces to the judiciary, universities and news media.Listen to this storyYour browser does not support the element.Enjoy more audio and podcasts on iOS or Android.It is also true that the rich and famous are under harsher scrutiny than they have known for decades. Tycoons and film stars have received painful reminders that they enjoy their success at the party’s pleasure. Some have lost fortunes or seen careers ended for defying China’s leaders, or for provoking public opinion with displays of swaggering privilege. Others have hastened to donate money and time to patriotic causes. N …

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