Guoguang Wu: Has Xi Jinping Reached His Peak? Power Concentration versus Governance Capability

Two factors show that Xi has successfully consolidated his power: his “dismantling” of established norms within the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), through winning a third term to “rule over the party, state, and military,” and the absence of high-level political opponents following the 20th Party Congress. It is likely Xi is at the peak of political power in China, yet he has had difficulty performing and implementing policy. For example, he has had a middling record on economic performance and difficulty rooting out corruption. Thus a paradox arises: as Xi has climbed to the height of his power, he continues to have a weak record in implementing policy.

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