Because Jiang and Hu were more administrators than leaders in the true sense of the word. They also presided over a period in recent Chinese history when China was in a weak position due to the worldwide setbacks of socialism and when it had to focus more on economic growth, pretending to the west like it was on a path to liberalization in order to avoid suffering the fate of the USSR. It was a time to “lay low” so to speak and as a result there was a certain growth of corruption that came along with that opening up.
That being said it’s not like there weren’t significant milestones during their tenures at all; Jiang oversaw the re-integration of Hong Kong while Hu started laying the groundwork for what would eventually become Xi’s signature project, the Belt and Road Initiative.
They can be compared more to Hua Guofeng who briefly led the party between Mao’s death and Deng’s rise to leadership, in the sense that they were largely just holding a steady course during a potentially difficult transition period.
At least this is my impression as an outsider learning about China and the CPC. I may be wrong.
What do you mean “There is no obvious need” to change Chinese institutions looking from the outside? Socialism has to be built over time with gradual changes, for a system to evolve it can’t stay stagnant.
I think it is undeniable that over Xi Jinping’s tenure a shift has taken place back to a more overtly ideological Marxist-Leninist party line and to unapologetically socialist policies.
Institutionalism is a liberal obsession, the CPC is a revolutionary party. When systems become ossified they become ineffective, they need regular purging and ideological revitalization. The CPC needed to find its way back again to strong leadership with a clear, bold vision for the future.
The USSR failed to do this and the consequences were disastrous. If you have read Xi’s writings and speeches you will see a clear determination to understand what went wrong there and avoid it at all costs. I don’t think it a coincidence that he started his first term with a giant anti-corruption campaign.
Because Jiang and Hu were more administrators than leaders in the true sense of the word. They also presided over a period in recent Chinese history when China was in a weak position due to the worldwide setbacks of socialism and when it had to focus more on economic growth, pretending to the west like it was on a path to liberalization in order to avoid suffering the fate of the USSR. It was a time to “lay low” so to speak and as a result there was a certain growth of corruption that came along with that opening up.
That being said it’s not like there weren’t significant milestones during their tenures at all; Jiang oversaw the re-integration of Hong Kong while Hu started laying the groundwork for what would eventually become Xi’s signature project, the Belt and Road Initiative.
They can be compared more to Hua Guofeng who briefly led the party between Mao’s death and Deng’s rise to leadership, in the sense that they were largely just holding a steady course during a potentially difficult transition period.
At least this is my impression as an outsider learning about China and the CPC. I may be wrong.
Removed by mod
What do you mean “There is no obvious need” to change Chinese institutions looking from the outside? Socialism has to be built over time with gradual changes, for a system to evolve it can’t stay stagnant.
Removed by mod
I think it is undeniable that over Xi Jinping’s tenure a shift has taken place back to a more overtly ideological Marxist-Leninist party line and to unapologetically socialist policies.
Institutionalism is a liberal obsession, the CPC is a revolutionary party. When systems become ossified they become ineffective, they need regular purging and ideological revitalization. The CPC needed to find its way back again to strong leadership with a clear, bold vision for the future.
The USSR failed to do this and the consequences were disastrous. If you have read Xi’s writings and speeches you will see a clear determination to understand what went wrong there and avoid it at all costs. I don’t think it a coincidence that he started his first term with a giant anti-corruption campaign.
Removed by mod