The party has also been pushed back internationally due to the government`s severe crackdown on Uighurs and other Muslims in the Xinjiang region. Since 2017, authorities have arbitrarily detained more than a million Muslims in so-called re-education camps. People in the area are subjected to forced sterilization, forced labor, intensive surveillance, and religious restrictions. The United States, along with a handful of other Western countries, has determined that the abuses constitute genocide and crimes against humanity. Chinese officials deny that genocide is taking place. In addition, the authorities targeted and detained human rights lawyers across China, which was condemned by foreign governments. The People`s Republic of China is a one-party state ruled by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Nevertheless, there are officially eight servile political parties. Beijing`s claim has drawn increased attention from Washington and its allies.

Of particular concern are the measures against Hong Kong and Taiwan, which are critical to Xi`s goal of achieving China`s “national rejuvenation,” Under Xi, Beijing has increasingly tightened its grip on Hong Kong, a special administrative region that for decades has been largely allowed to run its own affairs. In 2020, China`s National People`s Congress imposed a national security law on the city, giving Beijing sweeping new powers to punish critics and silence dissent. China has also been more aggressive toward Taiwan, an island that has ruled independently of China since 1949 but which Beijing considers part of its territory. By mid-2020, however, reported cases in China were declining, although cases have increased elsewhere, including the United States and European Union countries. The CCP declared victory over COVID-19. Since then, Party officials and state media have pointed to the low number of cases to spread a narrative that the CCP`s authoritarian model of government is superior to democratic models. In an effort to bolster its soft power, it has also delivered more than three hundred million doses of its COVID-19 vaccines – including twenty-five million donations – to countries around the world by mid-2021, although some of these vaccines appear to have lower efficacy rates than some vaccines made in the United States and Europe. In any case, China`s aging population will test the Party`s ability to provide for its people. It is estimated that retirees could make up more than 40% of China`s population by 2050. In addition, life expectancy has increased, while the birth rate has decreased. The CCP acknowledged the problem and announced in 2021 that it would allow married couples to have three children, ending a two-child policy applied to most couples.

Expanding insurance coverage has also been a major initiative for the party, with health spending rising from 3.5 percent of GDP in 1995 to 5.4 percent in 2018, according to World Bank data, and researchers predict that number will rise to 9.1 percent by 2035. While health insurance covers more than 90% of the population, coverage is often limited. Every five years, the CPC convenes its National Party Congress to determine key policies and choose key leaders. (This should not be confused with the National People`s Congress [PDF], which is China`s legislature.) Meanwhile, members elect the Central Committee, which consists of about 370 members and deputies, including ministers, high-level regulators, provincial leaders and military officers. The Central Committee acts as a kind of board of directors for the CCP, and its mandate is to choose the twenty-five-member Politburo. “Xi has made it clear that his ambitions do not stop at the Asia-Pacific region,” the CFR economy said. “He`s trying to reshape the world order — the rules of the road — in a way that suits China better.” This complex dynamic is evident in Xi`s broad anti-corruption campaign, which began in 2012. While corruption raids following a change of power are not uncommon, the scale of Xi`s campaign was unprecedented, targeting some two million officials, including senior officials or “tigers,” senior military officials and subordinate party cadres or “flies.” Experts say the anti-corruption movement, while extremely popular with the Chinese, could alienate some elites and cripple lower-level governance for fear of falling under the suspicion of the party`s corruption watchdog. The Communist Party of China (CCP) is the founding and ruling party of modern China, officially known as the People`s Republic of China.

The CCP has maintained a political monopoly since its inception a century ago, overseeing the country`s rapid economic growth and rise to global power. As the party celebrates its centennial in 2021, it faces challenges at home and abroad, including economic inequality, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the climate crisis. However, experts say that with Xi`s elevation, the CCP has returned to strongman rule. While the Eighteenth Party Congress in 2012 marked the peaceful transition of Chinese leadership from Hu to Xi, the Nineteenth Party Congress in 2017 cemented Xi`s rise as the decisive leader. In March 2018, China`s Congress amended China`s constitution to lift the Chinese president`s term limits, paving the way for Xi to formally remain in power beyond 2022. Experts on modern China warn that the survival of the ruling party could jeopardize the survival of the ruling party by relying on a single leader. In turn, through behind-the-scenes negotiations, the Politburo elects the Politburo Standing Committee, which acts as the epicenter of the CCP`s power and leadership. The Standing Committee currently has seven members, but members ranged from five to nine. Xi, who succeeded Hu Jintao in 2012, heads the system as general secretary. He is also president and head of the army and wields enormous influence over government policy. Premier Li Keqiang heads the State Council, China`s equivalent of a cabinet. China`s economic growth, which has slowed since its dizzying double-digit growth in the early 2000s, has also been a source of concern for policymakers who have called for reforms to boost domestic consumption and reduce dependence on exports.

In 2020, China`s economy grew 2.3 percent, the slowest pace since Mao`s death in 1976. However, China was the only major global economy to grow in a year dominated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, the massive accumulation of debt has worried some experts about an impending debt crisis. China`s stock market volatility has also raised questions about the Party`s ability to implement appropriate economic reforms. In response, Xi has worked to strengthen the CCP`s control over state-owned and private enterprises. In September 2020, for example, the CCP issued new guidelines to strengthen Party oversight of private enterprises. While rapid economic growth has improved the livelihoods of millions of people, the CCP must also address massive income inequality. According to a 2016 study by Peking University, the richest 1% of households owned one-third of the country`s wealth, while the poorest 25% owned only 1% of their wealth. The party rests on three pillars: personnel control, propaganda, and the People`s Liberation Army (PLA). As the armed wing of the CCP, one of the main objectives of the PLA is to protect the Party`s power and defend the Party`s interests. The CCP`s Central Military Commission, currently headed by Xi, oversees both the People`s Liberation Army and the People`s Armed Police, which focuses primarily on internal security.

According to a 2020 U.S. Department of Defense report [PDF] on the Chinese military, the CCP views the People`s Liberation Army as “a practical instrument of its governing art playing an active role in promoting the PRC`s foreign policy, especially with regard to the PRC`s increasingly global interests and its goals of revising aspects of the international order.” For example, the People`s Liberation Army monitors the use of warships and aircraft near disputed areas of the East and South China Seas, as well as near Taiwan. In practice, only one political party has effective power at the national level, namely the CCP. Its dominance is so great that China is effectively a one-party state. [2] The eight small parties are part of the united front and also participate in the political system, but they have no power at the national level. [3] [2] Small parties must accept the CCP`s “leading role” as a condition for its existence. [4] According to Human Rights Watch, these parties “play an advisory role rather than an opposition role.” [5] China`s political system allows some members of the eight smaller parties and other non-CCP members to participate in the National People`s Congress (NPC), but they are verified by the CCP. [5] According to Aaron Friedberg, the goal of these parties is to “create the illusion of inclusivity and representation.” [6] At the same time, China`s industrialization has come at the expense of the environment.