As China’s 20th Party Congress looms, Xi Jinping is poised to secure an unprecedented third term in office—and it is critical that the United States and its allies grasp the ideology driving Xi’s ambitions for China, writes Kevin Rudd in a new essay. The West has largely overlooked Beijing’s rhetoric, but “Xi’s Marxist nationalism is an ideological blueprint for the future; it is the truth about China that is hiding in plain sight.”
Where will Xi take China? Xi’s ideological pronouncements paint a clear picture of his vision for the country: “China is much more powerful than it ever was,” and the Chinese leader “intends to use this power to change the course of history.” In Xi’s view, “China’s ultimate victory is guaranteed because the deep forces of historical determinism” are on Beijing’s side, “and the West is in structural decline.” This thinking is “having profound effects on the real-world content of Chinese politics and foreign policy,” argues Rudd. And as China continues to rise, “the West ignores Xi’s ideological messaging at its own peril.”
Read more from Foreign Affairs on where China is headed under Xi:
“The Weakness of Xi Jinping” by Cai Xia
“Xi Jinping’s New World Order” by Elizabeth Economy
“Beijing’s American Hustle” by Matt Pottinger
“Xi’s Gamble” by Jude Blanchette
“Life of the Party” by Orville Schell
