Central leaders like Xi Jinping have addressed anti-elitism by having the Party scourge itself in public through the anti-corruption struggle, where some of its own leading lights have been felled and humiliated in public. The message here is clear: the Party is one with society, not on a different rung. On the whole, what evidence there is shows this has been a popular move amongst wider society. Even so, growth is tightening and problems are stacking up; there is every chance now that increasing numbers of people in China will feel that they are missing out and not doing as well as they could. That means the potential for rising anti-elitism, and its threat to the Party and its personnel because of their naturally privileged role in society, is only likely to increase. Read more
