Pekingology
Pekingology
Center for Strategic and International Studies
The Broken China Dream
39 minutes Posted Dec 11, 2025 at 10:00 am.
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Show notes

In this episode of Pekingology, CSIS Senior Fellow Henrietta Levin is joined by Minxin Pei, author of the new book, "The Broken China Dream: How Reform Revived Totalitarianism." Minxin traces the evolution of China's political and economic system through the post-Mao era, highlighting key moments in which the Party's efforts to strengthen collective leadership inadvertently planted the seeds of Xi Jinping's eventual power grab.

To hear more from Minxin, check out the 2024 episode of Pekingology: The Sentinel State.