This episode focuses on the Chinese Communist Party’s recently concluded Sixth Plenum of China’s Central Committee. It examines Xi Jinping’s decision to give himself the title of “core” leader and what this means for the future of collective leadership. Additionally, our guest, Bill Bishop, comments on the effectiveness of Xi’s anti-corruption campaigns and party discipline. The podcast concludes by examining what Xi’s concentration of power means for the future of CCP politics and its potential repercussions for the Nineteenth Party Congress next year.
Bill Bishop is a Pulitzer-finalist journalist and author. Bill lived and worked in Beijing for ten years, returning to the United States in 2015. He runs The Sinocism China Newsletter, an email newsletter that provides commentary, curation and consulting services about China. He co-founded CBS MarketWatch in 1997 and worked in several business roles over the years, the last as head of the MarketWatch consumer Internet business before moving to Beijing in 2005.