Existential Crisis of the Chinese Communist Party?

Abstract

This chapter studies the CCP’s concerns about the continuation of its rule and how it addressed these concerns in post-Mao China (1976–2012). Existential crises have been a constant concern for Chinese leaders. This chapter argues that the CCP’s concerns mainly derive from: the gap between the reality of the political economy in China and the party’s ideological basis and commitment to socialism; the justification of its founder, Mao Zedong; and the negative consequences caused by rapid economic growth. These three sources of existential concerns have been shifting over the past four decades.