Xi Jinping Tightens Grip on Economy, Moves China Toward Maoism

Chinese leader Xi Jinping applauds at the opening session of the National People's Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, on March 5, 2022. Carlos Garcia Rawlins/Reuters

News Analysis

After the death of Mao Zedong, Deng Xiaoping liberalized the Chinese economy, fostering China’s transformation from one of the poorest countries in the world to the number two economy. The Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) 2022 Work Report suggests that Deng is being erased, as Xi Jinping drives the country back to the authoritarian days of Mao.