ChinaTalk: Xi Zhongxun’s Second Act: 1949-1989

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This is part two of our series with Joseph Torigian, author of the definitive biography og Xi Zhongxun. This episode traces the inner world of a man navigating power politics, exile, and reform, and the legacy he left his son, Xi Jinping. 

Against the backdrop of the Great Leap Forward, the Sino-Soviet split, the Cultural Revolution, and reform and opening up, we discuss…

• The moral dilemmas of a mid-level party cadre, 

• What’s like to be purged, and why the party prescribes self-criticism as therapy,

• “Frenemies” in the CCP, Deng Xiaoping’s autocratic side, and the unsung heroes of the reform period, 

• How Xi Zhongxun instilled party loyalty and other values in his son, 

• Xi Zhongxun’s return from exile and his complicated relationship with reform, 

• How Chinese leaders think about redemption, guilt, and survival, 

• And a bonus: Why the PRC-produced biopic of Xi Zhongxun is so disappointing — and why his life deserves the Star Wars treatment

Outro music: Teresa Teng - 小城故事 (YouTube Link)