Xi Jinping's China: On the Road to Neo-totalitarianism

Abstract

more than a whole cycle of the chinese zodiac has elapsed since\nthe special issue of Social Research, “China in Transition,” was published\nin 2006. After 12 years, China’s transition is not towards democracy but\ntowards a kind of neo-totalitarianism. During this period, Liu Xiaobo,\nwho had written in that issue on the growing influence of civil society,\nwas awarded the Nobel Peace Prize and died in prison, while his wife\nwas placed under house arrest for almost a decade. The year 2008 was a\nwatershed, as the financial crisis dealt a serious blow to the Washington\nConsensus, while the successful organization of the Olympic Games by\nBeijing impressed the world. The Chinese leadership used this opportunity\nto become more assertive on the international scene, presenting\nits regime as a credible alternative to Western democracy and the\nmarket economy that had led the world to an unprecedented crisis. Liu\nXiaobo’s dream of a strong civil society capable of putting an end to the\nCommunist Party’s dictatorship has vanished...