Rewind and Reconnoiter: Will Xi Jinping Tighten His Grip on Power in 2019?

In 2018, Kerry Brown wrote “Will Xi Jinping Tighten His Grip on Power in 2019?” where he argued that the atmosphere in China has become increasingly dominated by President Xi, indicative of his ever-increasing political influence. In the wake of a pandemic that shook China, as well as the rest of the world, we invited Kerry back to reflect on his article. Read more below. In your 2018 article, “Will Xi Jinping Tighten His Grip on Power in 2019?” you said you were skeptical about how to interpret the level of power General Secretary Xi holds in China. How, if