China’s Communist Party turns 100: how each generation justifies its rule
- Every generation of leadership must define what constitutes ‘good governance’ – whether it’s economic or geopolitical victories or beating Covid-19
- Except for the reunification of Taiwan, Xi Jinping has offered few clues to what ‘rejuvenation of the great Chinese nation’ means for his leadership
As China marks a century since the founding of the Communist Party, this series looks at the past, present and future of the country’s political system. Here, Jun Mai looks at the foundations on which each generation of the party leadership has sought to build its legitimacy.
One can take the kingdom by force but should never govern it by force, Emperor Gaozu of Han was told by his aide Lu Jia some 2,200 years ago.
Gaozu of Han, a commoner upstart who eventually built the first centralised dynasty of China, is often compared with Mao Zedong. The great helmsman himself was well versed in the success story of Han Gaozu and liked to lecture it to others.
Mao famously said that political power grew out of the barrel of a gun. But like the Han emperor, he also understood the best way of hanging on to it was by gaining popular support. The use of force should only be kept as the last resort.
Under the one-party dictatorship, Chinese people are not given the chance to vote for an alternative government. But the party, still priding itself that it “serves the people”, has tried to deliver its mandate by other means.
