China Renaissance, The: The Rise of XI Jinping and the 18th Communist Party Congress

Rising superpower China duly anointed a new generation of leaders led by Xi Jinping at the Communist Party's 18th National Congress held in November 2012. While the conclave itself passed off with smoothly choreographed efficiency, the months leading up to this once-a-decade transition were anything but orderly. Intense factional wrangling behind the scenes was accompanied by scandals very much in public view. In the most spectacular furore the political aspirations of Communist aristocrat Bo Xilai were dashed, at one time threatening to derail the meticulous stage managing of the congress itself. At the start of what turned out to be a tumultuous year, the South China Morning Post set out on an ambitious project to chronicle the transfer of power to the so-called fifth generation of Chinese leaders, delving behind the cloak of secrecy that routinely masks Beijing's corridors of power. The result was unparalleled coverage and a series of exclusives that kept the newspaper well ahead of its peers on this remarkable story. While the past decade saw China's supercharged economy accelerate past Japan to become the world's second-largest, the coming decade is expected to see China led by Xi and his team move towards catching up the United States as the world's top economic force. Who are the people that will guide China through its challenges at home and on the global stage? By profiling dozens of rising stars as well as current movers and shakers, the SCMP has provided the most complete portrait to date of the leaders who will control the world's most populous country over the next decade. This book aims to provide the reader with a comprehensive insight into the men, and the tiny handful of women, who are going to be charting that course Ch. 1. From Strongman To Consensus Rule -- Ch. 2. The Hu-wen Decade: Glorious, Golden And Lost Stability But Stagnation. People's Champion Or Chameleon? The Price Of Growth. Ten Years Of A Bumpy Road -- Ch. 3. Change Agent Or Steady As She Goes? Xi's Chinese Dream. Shunning The Easy Road. The Tide Turns. Doing The Business. Star In Her Own Right -- Ch. 4. Sent-down Youth Rise Up. Will Xi Surprise The Naysayers? Generation Of Hope. Li Keqiang. Cheng Hong. Zhang Dejiang. Yu Zhengsheng. Liu Yunshan. Wang Qishan. Zhang Gaoli -- Ch. 5. Power Behind The Curtain -- Ch. 6. Bo Xilai: Slide From Fame To Shame. Diary Of A Downfall. Fall Of The Jackie Kennedy Of China -- Ch. 7. Beijing's Big Reshuffle. Next Generation Steps Up. Han Zheng. Li Yuanchao. Liu Yandong. Ma Kai. Sun Zhengcai. Li Jianguo. Zhao Leji. Guo Jinlong. Hu Chunhua. Li Zhanshu. Liu Qibao. Meng Jianzhu. Sun Chunlan. Wang Huning. Wang Yang. Xu Qiliang. Fan Changlong. Zhang Chunxian. Ling Jihua --^ Ch. 8. Jangling Global Nerves. Quick March -- To Catch Up. Xi Stamps Authority On Pla With Ease. Behind The Budget Smokescreen. Chinese Maritime Plan A Threat. Could The Unthinkable Happen Again? -- Ch. 9. Reform: Easier Said Than Done. Good Start But Drastic Reforms Unlikely. Heeding Lessons Of Old Regime. Media Freedom Unlikely To Bloom. Pitfalls Of Party Downsizing. Legal Reform: Promises And Hopes. Graft: The Battle Is Joined -- Again. Crooked Cadres Hide Booty In Property. Losing Patience With Democracy. Feeling The Bite -- China's Hospitality Industry. Rights Treaty Must Be Ratified. Call To Legalise Same-sex Marriage. Veterans' Long March For Reform. At 95, Still Bent On Party Reform -- Ch. 10. New Leaders Seek China's Renewal. Renaissance Within Reach. Premier Li: Strong Or Just Moderate? Central Bank -- Zhou Xiaochuan. Foreign Policy -- Wang Yi. Defence -- Chang Wanquan. Finance -- Lou Jiwei. Economy -- Xu Shaoshi. Commerce -- Gao Hucheng. Health --^ Li Bin. Taiwan Affairs -- Zhang Zhijun. Anti-graft -- Huang Shuxian. Securities Regulation -- Xiao Gang. Ethnic Affairs -- Wang Zhengwei. Supreme Court -- Zhou Chiang. Cabinet Revamp Short On Action -- Ch. 11. Will China Miracle Lose Its Magic? Bulls Vs Bears. Old Plans Tie New Hands. Rough Road To Change. Bleak Outlook For Tough Pollution Laws. Lifestyle, Career Concerns Drive Out Talent. Red Alert For Greying China. Fat Cats Feel The Squeeze -- Ch. 12. The Media Genie. New Technology, New Voice. Surprise In Social Media Findings. Chilling History Lesson For China's No Voter -- Ch. 13. Lost, Found, And Still Searching. Still Waters Run Deep In Taiwan Strait. Hong Kong Wary Of Beijing Intentions. Hong Kong-mainland Sore Points. What's In China's Manhattan For Hong Kong? Qianhai -- Seedbed For Reform? -- Ch. 14. Who To Watch. Seven Tipped For Sixth Generation. By The Writers, Artists And Editors Of The South China Morning Post ; Edited By Jonathan Sharp. Contents Foreword Chapter 1 From Strongman to Consensus Rule Chapter 2 The Hu–Wen Decade: Glorious, Golden and Lost Stability but Stagnation People’s Champion or Chameleon? The Price of Growth Ten Years of “a Bumpy Road” Chapter 3 Change Agent or Steady as She Goes? Xi’s Chinese Dream Shunning the Easy Road The Tide Turns Doing the Business Star in Her Own Right Chapter 4 Sent-Down Youth Rise Up Will Xi Surprise the Naysayers? Generation of Hope Profiles Li Keqiang Cheng Hong Zhang Dejiang Yu Zhengsheng Liu Yunshan Wang Qishan Zhang Gaoli Chapter 5 Power Behind the Curtain Chapter 6 Bo Xilai: Slide from Fame to Shame Diary of a Downfall Fall of “the Jackie Kennedy of China” Chapter 7 Beijing’s Big Reshuffle Next Generation Steps Up Profiles Han Zheng Li Yuanchao Liu Yandong Ma Kai Sun Zhengcai Li Jianguo Zhao Leji Guo Jinlong Hu Chunhua Li Zhanshu Liu Qibao Meng Jianzhu Sun Chunlan Wang Huning Wang Yang Xu Qiliang Fan Changlong Zhang Chunxian Ling Jihua Chapter 8 Jangling Global Nerves Quick March — To Catch Up Xi Stamps Authority on PLA with Ease Behind the Budget Smokescreen Chinese Maritime Plan “a Threat” Could the Unthinkable Happen Again? Chapter 9 Reform: Easier Said Than Done Good Start but Drastic Reforms Unlikely Heeding Lessons of Old Regime Media Freedom Unlikely to Bloom Pitfalls of Party Downsizing Legal Reform: Promises and Hopes Graft: The Battle Is Joined — Again Crooked Cadres Hide Booty in Property Losing Patience with Democracy Feeling the Bite — China’s Hospitality Industry Rights Treaty “Must Be Ratified” Call to Legalise Same-Sex Marriage Veterans’ Long March for Reform At 95, Still Bent on Party Reform Chapter 10 New Leaders Seek China’s Renewal “Renaissance” Within Reach Premier Li: Strong or Just Moderate? Central Bank — Zhou Xiaochuan Foreign Policy — Wang Yi Defence — Chang Wanquan Finance — Lou Jiwei Economy — Xu Shaoshi Commerce — Gao Hucheng Health — Li Bin Taiwan Affairs — Zhang Zhijun Anti-Graft — Huang Shuxian Securities Regulation — Xiao Gang Ethnic Affairs — Wang Zhengwei Supreme Court — Zhou Chiang Cabinet Revamp Short on Action Chapter 11 Will China Miracle Lose Its Magic? Bulls vs Bears Old Plans Tie New Hands Rough Road to Change Bleak Outlook for Tough Pollution Laws Lifestyle, Career Concerns Drive Out Talent Red Alert for Greying China Fat Cats Feel the Squeeze Chapter 12 The Media Genie New Technology, New Voice Surprise in Social Media Findings Chilling History Lesson for China’s “No” Voter Chapter 13 Lost, Found, and Still Searching Still Waters Run Deep in Taiwan Strait Hong Kong Wary of Beijing Intentions Hong Kong–Mainland Sore Points What’s in China’s “Manhattan” for Hong Kong? Qianhai — Seedbed for Reform? Chapter 14 Who to Watch Seven Tipped for Sixth Generation Glossary of Names