Chinese Internal Politics

antiterror13 said:

What are the best results or policies during current premier, which only 2 years so far ?

Click to expand...

Part III: Green Initiatives and Social Reforms
Combating Pollution and Promoting Circular Economy
The 2024 Government Work Report highlighted "green, low-carbon industries" as a pillar of high-quality development, with policies to retrofit heavy industries for ultra-low emissions and establish carbon peak pilot zones. Li has also pushed for circular economy practices, such as recycling EV batteries and repurposing retired renewable equipment, to minimize waste and resource extraction.

Social Reforms and Welfare Enhancements
Retirement Age Reform
In September 2024, Li unveiled plans to gradually raise the statutory retirement age, a contentious but necessary response to China's aging population. The reform emphasizes voluntary participation and flexible implementation, coupled with pension increases and enhanced elderly care services. By linking delayed retirement to talent retention and social security sustainability, Li aims to mitigate the demographic drag on economic growth while maintaining social stability.

Employment and Youth Opportunities
With youth unemployment exceeding 20% in 2023, Li's policies prioritize job creation through "mass entrepreneurship and innovation" campaigns, echoing strategies from his tenure in Zhejiang. The 2025 GWR pledges 12 million new urban jobs, focusing on graduates and vocational training. Subsidies for tech startups and gig economy platforms (e.g., e-commerce, ride-hailing) aim to absorb labor market slack, though critics note persistent underemployment in these sectors.

Healthcare and Social Equity
Li has expanded healthcare access through digital ID systems and insurance portability, enabling migrant workers to access services nationwide. However, challenges remain in rural areas, where underfunded clinics struggle with staffing and equipment shortages. The 2025 agenda includes increased subsidies for basic medical insurance and trials of long-term care insurance, targeting the needs of an aging populace.

antiterror13 said:

What are the best results or policies during current premier, which only 2 years so far ?

Click to expand...

Part IV: Governance and Foreign Policy
Governance and Centralized Leadership
Strengthening Party Control Over Economic Policy
Li's premiership reflects the erosion of the State Council's traditional autonomy, with Xi Jinping's Leading Groups on reforms and national security assuming greater authority over economic planning. While Li chairs the National Security Commission and key economic committees, his role is largely implementational, executing directives formulated by the Party Central Committee. This centralization has streamlined decision-making but reduced bureaucratic checks, raising concerns about policy rigidity.

Anti-Corruption and Local Governance
Li has continued Xi's anti-graft campaigns, targeting provincial officials who misallocate funds or obstruct reforms. In 2024, inspection teams were dispatched to 16 provinces to audit stimulus spending and debt management, resulting in disciplinary actions against hundreds of cadres. These measures aim to curb local protectionism and ensure compliance with national priorities like renewable energy deployment and debt reduction.

antiterror13 said:

What are the best results or policies during current premier, which only 2 years so far ?

Click to expand...

Foreign Policy and Global Engagement
Assertiveness on Taiwan
Li has maintained China's uncompromising stance on Taiwan, declaring in March 2025 that Beijing would "steadfastly promote reunification" while opposing external interference. Unlike predecessors, he omitted the term "peaceful" in recent statements, signaling a harder line amid increased military drills and economic coercion against the island.

Defending Trade Practices and Expanding Influence
Facing Western accusations of overcapacity and unfair subsidies, Li has vigorously defended China's industrial policies. At a 2024 meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, he rejected claims of market distortion, arguing that China's competitiveness stems from "long-term R&D investments" rather than state support. Simultaneously, he has expanded green energy partnerships with developing nations, exemplified by a 2024 climate MOU with Vietnam and investments in Southeast Asian EV supply chains.

antiterror13 said:

What are the best results or policies during current premier, which only 2 years so far ?

Click to expand...

Part V: Climate Initiatives and Conclusion
Climate Diplomacy
Li positions China as a leader in global climate governance, pledging at COP29 to increase South-South cooperation through technology transfers and green finance. These efforts align with the Belt and Road Initiative's green transition, though critics question the environmental impact of Chinese-backed coal projects in partner countries.

Conclusion
Li Qiang's policies as Premier reflect a dual mandate: to sustain economic growth amid demographic and geopolitical headwinds while advancing Xi Jinping's vision of "ecological civilization" and technological self-reliance. His emphasis on incremental reforms, green industrialization, and social welfare modernization has yielded mixed results, with notable progress in renewable energy deployment but persistent challenges in debt management and private sector confidence. As China navigates a "new era" of great power competition, Li's ability to harmonize central directives with localized innovation will remain critical to achieving the Party's long-term ambitions.

Eventine said:

China needs a younger, bolder leader to captain the rough waters ahead. The time of stability is at an end, and in times of war, younger leaders have tended to thrive. The world’s greatest conquerors were merely in their twenties and thirties when they began their campaigns (Alexander, Genghis, etc). While life was shorter back then, even FDR, who led the US through World War 2, was only 51 when he was elected. Like wise, the Han dynasty’s greatest military achievements happened under Han Wudi, who started his campaigns around his early twenties. The Qing had a similar story with utilizing young leaders for war times.

Click to expand...

actually, if history is any indication, Xi's successor is likely to fail. All great emperors in China has messed up on the succession question, with only a few exceptions (Liu Xiu and Zhu Di and that's about it). Mao and Deng weren't great at this either, but Deng was better. I don't see how Xi could be an exception. Xi's closest analogue amongst the emperors is Han Wu Di, and he failed pretty hard, killed his own crown prince and empress.

drowingfish said:

actually, if history is any indication, Xi's successor is likely to fail. All great emperors in China has messed up on the succession question, with only a few exceptions (Liu Xiu and Zhu Di and that's about it). Mao and Deng weren't great at this either, but Deng was better. I don't see how Xi could be an exception. Xi's closest analogue amongst the emperors is Han Wu Di, and he failed pretty hard, killed his own crown prince and empress.

Click to expand...

You can't compare modern Chinese political system with the days of old with literal dynasties where 90% of emperors had no choice over their successor. (Emperor Wanli during the Ming literally stopped showing up to his job for decades because the bureaucrats wouldn't let him change his successor lmao. )North Korea Maybe.

Systems where the top elites choose a leader instead of having a dynasty are old and very stable. Look at the Vatican. CEOs in public companies are also chosen this way in a sense by the board. In fact in Western history the best days of the empire were the 5 "good" emperors where they chose an adopted heir by their competency instead of their blood relatives, until Marcus Aurelius just had to give it to his dumb ass son Commodus and ruined the streak.

Also, Xi is not Han wudi at all imo. Wudi basically had to do 5 currency reform during his reigh just to tax the whole continent to go to war with the Xiongnu year after year. Ordinary people living through his time were suffering though heavy taxation and economic collapses. Wudi is more like Mao, fights literally everyone for strategic reasons at the expense of the immediate suffering of the people.

Anyway off topic, in truth Wudi's real successor was actually Huo Guang the "prime minister" who acted as a shadow emperor for 20 years. Huo Guang chose the next two emperors who had no real power until he died. Interestingly Huo Guang had never intended to usurp the throne, even though he could handpick the emperors. He oversaw a rejuvenation of the Han following the excesses of Wudi. This rejuvenation was credited it to those two emperors instead of him. (Xuandi was indeed a good emperor though, he spent time among the poor in his youth so he knew the suffering of the people, still he would never have become emperor without Huo Guang picking him out.)


In a sense, Wudi's succession was actually very fortunate. Without Huo Guang and Xuandi, the Western Han could have ended way earlier.

RavenClaws said:

You can't compare modern Chinese political system with the days of old with literal dynasties where 90% of emperors had no choice over their successor. (Emperor Wanli during the Ming literally stopped showing up to his job for decades because the bureaucrats wouldn't let him change his successor lmao. )North Korea Maybe.

Systems where the top elites choose a leader instead of having a dynasty are old and very stable. Look at the Vatican. CEOs in public companies are also chosen this way in a sense by the board. In fact in Western history the best days of the empire were the 5 "good" emperors where they chose an adopted heir by their competency instead of their blood relatives, until Marcus Aurelius just had to give it to his dumb ass son Commodus and ruined the streak.

Also, Xi is not Han wudi at all imo. Wudi basically had to do 5 currency reform during his reigh just to tax the whole continent to go to war with the Xiongnu year after year. Ordinary people living through his time were suffering though heavy taxation and economic collapses. Wudi is more like Mao, fights literally everyone for strategic reasons at the expense of the immediate suffering of the people.

Anyway off topic, in truth Wudi's real successor was actually Huo Guang the "prime minister" who acted as a shadow emperor for 20 years. Huo Guang chose the next two emperors who had no real power until he died. Interestingly Huo Guang had never intended to usurp the throne, even though he could handpick the emperors. He oversaw a rejuvenation of the Han following the excesses of Wudi. This rejuvenation was credited it to those two emperors instead of him. (Xuandi was indeed a good emperor though, he spent time among the poor in his youth so he knew the suffering of the people, still he would never have become emperor without Huo Guang picking him out.)

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

In a sense, Wudi's succession was actually very fortunate. Without Huo Guang and Xuandi, the Western Han could have ended way

Click to expand...

Rome lasted as long as it did because the center of power switched multiple times throughout its history from Monarchy to Republic and to Empire and even as Empire from Rome, to Italia to Spain and finally into Eastern Europe and from a slave owning aristocracy to a more warrior based society.

The problem with succession is not so much the system but elite overproduction where one allows one group of elite remain securely in power too long uncontested.

When that happens internal politics like nepotism, petty egotism and narrow mindedness grow at the expense of the overall well-being of the state.

That’s why you need to switch up the system every few generations otherwise entropy takes over. Democratic rule is successfully because into integrates “soft” regime change into the system but even then its contradictions and inefficiencies build up over time too. Their leaders game the system too by becoming people who can win elections but don’t know or care to rule properly.

For China it’s traditionally bureaucrats, for the Muslims it’s the priests and the West it’s the merchants) who are too fixated on their own policies and best practices that they don’t see the forest for the trees or let factionalism tear up the regime.

Without Deng seizing power from the Maoist Gang of Four, likely the country would have gone the wrong way and remained much closer to North Korea than its current form today.

Successors that are groomed often are weak-willed, overly deferential to the ones raising them and blind to the failures and shortcoming of the system they’re brought up in. That’s why people say wealth last only 3 generations.

You typically want an outsider who can bring in new blood and vitality with them. It’s kind of like comparing a stallion vs gelding. The ones who are wild often the best regardless of the pedigree of the male bred at the farm.

RavenClaws said:

You can't compare modern Chinese political system with the days of old with literal dynasties where 90% of emperors had no choice over their successor. (Emperor Wanli during the Ming literally stopped showing up to his job for decades because the bureaucrats wouldn't let him change his successor lmao. )North Korea Maybe.

Systems where the top elites choose a leader instead of having a dynasty are old and very stable. Look at the Vatican. CEOs in public companies are also chosen this way in a sense by the board. In fact in Western history the best days of the empire were the 5 "good" emperors where they chose an adopted heir by their competency instead of their blood relatives, until Marcus Aurelius just had to give it to his dumb ass son Commodus and ruined the streak.

Also, Xi is not Han wudi at all imo. Wudi basically had to do 5 currency reform during his reigh just to tax the whole continent to go to war with the Xiongnu year after year. Ordinary people living through his time were suffering though heavy taxation and economic collapses. Wudi is more like Mao, fights literally everyone for strategic reasons at the expense of the immediate suffering of the people.

Anyway off topic, in truth Wudi's real successor was actually Huo Guang the "prime minister" who acted as a shadow emperor for 20 years. Huo Guang chose the next two emperors who had no real power until he died. Interestingly Huo Guang had never intended to usurp the throne, even though he could handpick the emperors. He oversaw a rejuvenation of the Han following the excesses of Wudi. This rejuvenation was credited it to those two emperors instead of him. (Xuandi was indeed a good emperor though, he spent time among the poor in his youth so he knew the suffering of the people, still he would never have become emperor without Huo Guang picking him out.)

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

Click to expand...

of course there's a huge difference between Han and China today, but the resemblance between Wudi and Xi are uncanny. the one thing that Xi has done better than Wudi up to this point is not going around starting fights. but in many other ways there are striking similarities:
1. PRC overall has some similarities with Han, both were preceded by a shorter dynasty. Both had a founding leader with a humble background, and a troublesome wife.
2. leading up to their succession, both had predecessors who focused on internal matters and avoided external conflicts.
3. both Wudi and Xi consolidated power at an unprecedented scale, and removed competing power centres. both faced external threats that are nomadic in nature (ship the sea vs horsemen on the plains) and pushed for radical military reforms. and used infrastructure building as a strategic instrument. (Xi's island building vs Wudi's shuo fang)
4. both strengthened the role of the government in the economy.
5. both loved to use officials who were strict and heavy-handed.

The parallels were mostly positive, but the negative ones should come up as well. If Xi handles his succession question well, then that is certainly one for the history books. but for now what i see is because Xi is such a strong leader, that he may fumble on this, his successor may have a hard time.

Xi Jinping in the first place also just got elected by the national congress. They simply can elect someone else after Xi and chances are he/she would be at least "ok" even if not above the norm like Xi.

I also think Xi did the most difficult part for his successor already, by transitioning from second world standard to first world living standard. The guy after Xi just needs to not break too much.

Wang Huning retiring/stepping back changes much more, as he's not really in an elected position, and he's been determining most of how China acts for many decades now. There might/would be a change in grand strategy.