Party of One by Chun Han Wong

Party of One: The Rise of Xi Jinping and China's Superpower Status
by Chun Han Wong
Avid Reader Press/Simon & Schuster 2023

Reviewing Party of One, written by Chun Han Wong, a staff reporter at the Wall Street Journal, represents a challenge. Although Wong’s book has obvious value, it is not what it purports to be. It does not provide revelations into the processes by which China’s current leader, Xi Jinping, rose to power–this would require a strong comprehension of the inner-workings of the China Communist Party, something Wong, himself, admits he does not possess; nor does the book offer many insights regarding what the political future of China might be, apart from implying that this future will more than likely be complicated. That at which Party of One succeeds, however, is detailing, from multiple perspectives, an intricate and vivid account of Xi Jinping. It also offers a good summary of the policies Xi has carried out since becoming Party leader, and expounds upon the impacts Xi’s changes are having on China and the world.

Wong’s portrayal of Xi is not particularly positive. This is understandable. In 2019, after Wong co-wrote an article about an investigation by Australian authorities into the gambling activities of Ming Chai, a cousin of Xi Jinping, China did not re-extend Wong’s press credentials, effectively barring him from the country. As such, rather than first-person interviews (which Wong could no longer conduct), Party of One relies mostly on information gleaned from newspaper and journal articles. The number of these sources is impressive, filling up more than a hundred pages of notes.

Wong divides Party of One into an introduction, eight chapters and an afterword. Each of Wong’s chapters focuses on a different, Xi-related topic. These include: Xi’s background; Xi’s anti-corruption campaigns; China’s wolf warriors; and, Xi’s approach to Taiwan. A common thread among the chapters is the contrast between Xi’s strategies and those of his immediate predecessors, especially Deng Xiaoping. While Deng warned against the dangers of one person, autocratic rule in China, Xi is the embodiment of such rule. And, in contrast to Deng’s exhortations for China to lay low and bide its time, Xi has embraced an activist and aggressive approach to his relations with the outside world.

Something that emerges from Wong’s work is the incomprehensibility of Xi’s rule. Wong depicts Xi as someone not particularly sophisticated, and lacking in education (“Xi is not cultured. He was basically just an elementary schooler.”). Xi’s policies are portrayed as taking a shoot-from-the-hip approach, long on ideology, but poorly composed. Xi, himself, comes across as immature and thin-skinned, a leader, who, although obviously skilled in the art of Chinese politics, does not really understand the world outside his nation. Wong also makes clear that the transactional, self-seeking, and less than honest (e.g., manipulating history to fit one’s interests) approach Xi has applied to China is not working in the outside world. Xi’s “China Dream,” for example, an amorphous plan to land China on top of the world’s hierarchy, comes off as nothing more than a Darwinian approach to world dominance, lacking in substance.

If anything, for the China watcher, Wong’s book is both frightening and sad. It is frightening because China is currently facing multiple crises, chief among them demographic collapse. Then there is the United States, representing China’s largest market, a country no longer interested in globalization, and clearly intending to decouple from China. Other problems are a Chinese agricultural sector increasingly unable to serve the needs of its populace, and a world in which China has few friends. These are all issues that will require skills of leadership that are thoughtful and nuanced. This is not the sort of leader that Wong portrays Xi Jinping to be.

The sense of sadness arising out of Wong’s work relates to the fact that due to its size China’s impact upon the world is significant. Party of One directs much emphasis to Xi’s strategy of social control, focusing on Xi’s approach to unrest in Xinjiang and Tibet in particular. Wong makes clear that Xi and his cohort are pushing the boundaries of what should be considered ethically acceptable. Still, Xi’s policies have reduced social unrest. Because of this, pressure on other world leaders will arise to follow Xi’s lead. By establishing such precedents, Xi has done the world great harm. This is regrettable.

Party of One is a good read. It is interesting, well written, and flows well. It is also important. Xi Jinping has had, is having, and will continue to have a huge impact on both China and the world. Wong’s book provides an excellent overview of Xi as a leader, his policies, and about who Xi is. For these reasons, Party of One deserves strong recommendation.

Mark Jacobs is a former business school professor with an interest in the intersection of society and business. Mark lives in North Carolina.