Chinese Politics in the Xi Jinping Era

Cheng Li examines how the structure and workings of Communist Party leadership in China have changed since the late 1990s, as Xi Jinping gathers personal power and tests the limits of collective rule. Since becoming general secretary in 2012, Xi has run a bold anti-corruption campaign and consolidated control. Li argues that inner-party democracy, collective leadership built on deal making within accepted rules and norms, could lead to wider change in the political system, and that Xi's legacy depends largely on whether he helps or hinders that institutionalization. He also studies how the political elite is recruited, with biographical data, tables and charts on all 376 members of the 18th Central Committee.

Walmart chief executive Doug McMillon included it in his list of the books that taught and inspired him in 2016.