Factionalism in Chinese Communist Politics (Cambridge Modern China Series)

Factionalism is widely understood to be a distinguishing characteristic of Chinese politics. In this book, Jing Huang examines the role of factionalism in leadership relations and policy making. His detailed knowledge of intra-Party politics offers a new understanding of still-disputed struggles behind the high walls of leadership in Zhongnanhai. Critiqueing the predominant theories on leadership and decisionmaking, he explains that it is not power struggles that give rise to factionalism, but rather the existence of "factionalism that turns power into an overriding goal in CCP politics." Factionalism is widely understood to be a distinguishing characteristic of Chinese politics. In this book, first published in 2000, Jing Huang examines the role of factionalism in leadership relations and policy-making. His detailed knowledge of intra-party politics offers an alternative understanding of still-disputed struggles behind the high walls of leadership in Zhongnanhai. Huang traces the development of factional politics from its roots in the 'mountaintops' and the enduring impact of the personal bonds formed between Mao and his supporters at the Yan'an Round Table. Critiquing the predominant theories on leadership and decision-making, he explains that it is not power struggles that give rise to factionalism, but rather the existence of 'factionalism that turns power into an overriding goal in CCP politics'. Huang explains why policy outcomes switched constantly between 'Left-adventurism' and 'Right-conservatism' under Mao's reign and between 'emancipation of mind' and 'socialist spiritual civilization' in the Deng era Factionalism is widely understood to be one of the distinguishing characteristics of Chinese politics. In this book Jing Huang examines the role of factionalism in leadership relations and policy making. His detailed knowledge of intra-Party politics offers scholars and students a new understanding of long-disputed struggles behind the walls of leadership in Zhongnanhai. Huang traces the development of factional politics from its roots in the various mountaintops, or power bases headed by guerrilla leaders during the communist revolution, and describes the enduring impact of the personal bonds formed between Mao and his supporters at the Yan'an Round Table. He explains how factionalism led to Mao's unleashing of the Cultural Revolution, and how Deng Xiaoping manipulated factionalism to orchestrate his rise to power.