Path to Rejuvenation

By Jon Taylor

Volume II of Xi Jinping： The Governance of China， like Volume I， provides the reader with a wealth of information that is important for those interested in Chinese politics and government， as well as those interested in international relations.

Simply stated， Volume II offers supportive material that helps the reader understand why the Communist Party of China （CPC） Central Committee and the whole Party have noted the importance of General Secretary Xis core status and why the 19th National Congress of the CPC in 2017 amended the Party Constitution to include Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era.

What stands out in Volume II is four-fold： Xis view on Chinas role in promoting economic globalization， defining and detailing the mission and goals of the Belt and Road Initiative， an exposition on the concept of a community with a shared future， and an emphasis on dialectical thinking.

One underlying theme that Xi expresses throughout the work is a commitment to expanding Chinas reach into other parts of the world， while remaining true to Chinas pursuit of win-win cooperation. This is expressed by Xi in both a determined and respectful manner by observing that Chinas foreign partners have no need to remake themselves in Chinas image but rather， to operate in whatever distinctive system of development and governing structure that suits them.

Because the book is a compilation of Xis speeches， it provides the reader with an in-depth explanation of what China and Xi have accomplished in the past few years. However， for those interested in discerning where China will go in the coming years， the book provides a window into one of Xis primary goals for the nation： restoring China to its position as a great country. To do this， Xi notes that China needs stability， unity and the strong leadership of the CPC.

Those who have read the book， particularly in tandem with Volume I， will note another underlying theme pursued by Xi： Chinas values are not Western values. Chinas road to development and attainment of a moderately prosperous society， or xiaokang， in all respects by 2021 will remain different from that of the West. And copying the political systems of other countries could“spell an end to the independent destiny of our country.” Xi also discusses concern for public opinion as well as the future of the CPC， saying that the future of any political party and government depends on popular support.

Since this volume was published in 2017， the book underscores the reality that China has entered a “new normal” in which the nations economy can no longer rely on the unsustainable growth trajectories that propelled it forward for the last three decades and must begin searching for new drivers. This is important because as Xi notes， the nation must understand the importance and historical significance of technological innovation. Hence the reason behind the Belt and Road Initiative， the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank， and Chinas strong support for both economic globalization and global governance.

As a scholar interested in the workings of Chinas political structure and the CPC， an additional theme that stood out for me was dialectical thinking and Marxism. Xis comments and writings provide a window not only on Marxist thought， specifi cally at the level of his theory of history， he also provides an important insight into Chinas contribution to Marxism as a scientifi c philosophy—one that describes both the arc and meaning of history. This contribution to historical materialism is accentuated by Xis discussions on how political systems cannot simply be borrowed from other countries because those systems evolve from unique cultures.

Why is this significant？ Because Xi not only emphasizes the primacy of the CPC as a ruling party， he also provides thoughtprovoking observations on the Partys ideological flexibility and willingness to engage in both political and economic experimentation.

One last section that should be of interest is Chinas approach to foreign policy and its stated goals for cooperation via the concept of a community with a shared future. In particular， Xi discusses economic globalization while criticizing protectionism， opposing interventionism， and calling for “partnerships based on dialogue， nonconfrontation， and non-alliance.” This is indicative of Xis shaping of current Chinese foreign policy， one that views U.S.-style alliances as outdated relics of the Cold War， overly antagonistic， and out of step with contemporary international conditions.

Given Xis position at the core of the CPC Central Committee and the whole Party， as well as his global leadership role， Xi Jinping： The Governance of China is a notable work， one that provides those interested in China with a thorough understanding of Xis views as well as Chinas path to the future.