As the Communist Party of China prepares to mark its centennial on July 1, the poor longevity record of other dictatorial parties in modern times should give its leaders cause for worry. If the CPC is not on the right track with its neo-Maoist revival, its upcoming milestone maybe its last.
By Redaktion Table
Anyone who wants to understand today's China must understand Deng Xiaoping. The gap between rich and poor, how a communist party can remain in force in one of the most capitalist countries in the world, the crisis of values in society – all this is related to him.
By Felix Lee
For nearly 100 years, the Communist Party's United Front has sought to rally nonmembers to the party line and keep overseas Chinese under control. Its role as a string-puller in other countries, where it influences perceptions of Chinese politics through close networks of relationships with influential figures, is still completely underestimated. Sometimes foreigners do not even know they are providing valuable services to the United Front.
By Marcel Grzanna
One of Beijing's cemeteries holds a dark secret. In eight graves lie urns with the ashes of young men. They died in a hail of bullets on the night of June 4, 1989, when the army put down student protests at gunpoint. The police only allow their parents and relatives to visit these graves. The massacre is taboo. In Hong Kong, the traditional candlelight service planned for today in Victoria Park has been banned, as it was in 2020. The cemetery is the only place in China where remembrance still has a public place.
By Table.Briefings
For years, the Chinese government has been working hard to erase the memories of the Tiananmen massacre from the population, using censorship and the coercion of activists. The campaign against remembrance has now reached Hong Kong, where hundreds of thousands used to gather for the annual vigil. Hong Kong teachers face punishment for teaching the background and details of the bloody events. Dissidents warn of a history distortion in the West as well.
By Marcel Grzanna
Founded 100 years ago as a peasants' and workers' party, China's Communist Party is now an elite organization. Only one in ten interested people actually manages to become a member. The main motive for applicants: better career opportunities in the network of the influential.
By Felix Lee
The Party is always right, and Xi Jinping is its most important leader by far, even ahead of Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping. These are the main messages that the patient reader will take away from the newly published "short" history of the Chinese Communist Party. It has over 500 pages.
By Table.Briefings
The Chinese Communist Party is the largest political organization in the world - and by far the most powerful. To mark the centenary of its founding in July 2021, China.Table has looked at how the party has been able to take such seamless control of the country despite all the setbacks. We analyze its undeniable successes for economic development as well as human rights crimes. We also look to the future: can the Chinese Communist Party and Xi Jinping defend their unassailable position?
