The Intelligence from The Economist

Xi says: who will succeed him?

28 min

The episode delves into Xi Jinping's unprecedented consolidation of power in China, highlighting the ongoing leadership reshuffle where his position remains secure despite the abolition of term limits. Expert James Miles discusses the complete absence of a designated successor for 2032, leading to a gerontocracy and significant internal stress within the elite, raising concerns about potential future turbulence. The podcast also briefly touches upon Europe's emerging tech landscape and the legacy of master wine connoisseur Michel Roland.

Summarized by Podsumo

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✨ Key Takeaways

1

Xi Jinping abolished presidential term limits in 2018, allowing him to potentially rule for life, and is expected to secure his position at the next Party Congress.
2

Despite an ongoing five-year leadership churn, there are no signs of Xi Jinping grooming a successor for 2032, breaking with traditional Communist Party practices and creating uncertainty.
3

China is witnessing the formation of a 'gerontocracy' under Xi, with fewer younger officials in top positions, coupled with significant purges of the elite, including a fifth of the Central Committee and half of the armed forces' top leaders.
4

The lack of a clear succession plan poses a high risk of 'huge fighting' and political turbulence within the Communist Party once Xi Jinping eventually leaves the scene.
5

Europe is showing signs of closing the tech gap with the US and China, benefiting from American unreliability, Chinese government intervention in its tech sector, and a maturing European tech ecosystem with successful founders reinvesting.

💬 Notable Quotes

"Xi Jinping ripped up the succession rules in 2018 when he revised them to allow himself to be president for life."
"What we're seeing gradually is the formation of a new kind of gerontocracy in China, with Xi Jinping at the head of it..."
"A point of successor and things start getting tense... don't appoint a successor, and the chance then of huge fighting once the leader has left the scene is enormous."