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A Lesson From History: What the Shah of Iran’s Demise Taught the Chinese Regime

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A Lesson From History: What the Shah of Iran’s Demise Taught the Chinese Regime
Security personnel stand guard at Zhongnanhai near Tiananmen Square ahead of China's 20th Communist Party Congress in Beijing on Oct. 13, 2022. Noel Celis/AFP via Getty Images
Bradley A. Thayer
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Commentary

In 1978 and 1979, the leader of the Chinese regime, Deng Xiaoping, was consolidating his power at the same time the Shah of Iran was losing his. The Shah’s fall led to important lessons well heeded by Deng and his successors to Xi Jinping today.

Bradley A. Thayer
Bradley A. Thayer
Author
Bradley A. Thayer is a founding member of the Committee on Present Danger China and the coauthor with Lianchao Han of “Understanding the China Threat” and the coauthor with James Fanell of “Embracing Communist China: America’s Greatest Strategic Failure.”
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