Desmond Shum on how Xi Jinping beat down China’s red aristocrats
It took one of their own to do it, says the businessman and author
THE RED aristocrats of modern Communist China behave very similarly to the blue-blood aristocrats of the Western world in medieval times. This elite group is distinguished by its hereditary bloodlines: it includes descendants of revolutionaries who fought alongside Mao Zedong and the children of those who ran China after the Communist takeover in 1949. Because of their high social standing, these red aristocrats—sometimes referred to as “princelings”—enjoy privileged access and influence in every aspect of Chinese society. Their awareness of their status can sometimes instil in them a sense of noblesse oblige.
Explore more
From the April 27th 2024 edition
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents
Explore the editionMore from By Invitation
Peter Sands of the Global Fund on the pandemic’s positive legacies
New vaccines got most of the attention but there’s a lot more to celebrate
Trumpism is becoming more pragmatic, argues Reihan Salam
But not all of the incoming president’s backers buy it
Time is not on Russia’s side, argues Finland’s foreign minister
Elina Valtonen calls for a lower oil-price cap and tougher measures against Russia’s shadow fleet
Oriana Skylar Mastro makes a case for paring America’s nukes
The political scientist explains why beefing up is bad China strategy
A new Iranian approach to regional security and prosperity, by M. Javad Zarif
Iran’s vice-president on how his country can make the region more secure and prosperous
The EU must be bolder and faster in enlarging, writes Nicu Popescu
A former foreign minister of Moldova on the means and the dividends of speedier accession