Factionalism in Chinese Communist Politics

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. 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. Critiqueing 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.