Party of One – Wong Chun Han (2025)

In Party of One: The Rise of Xi Jinping and China’s Superpower Future, Chun Han Wong presents an account of the life and political vision of Xi Jinping, the authoritarian leader of the People’s Republic of China whose hard-edged tactics have set the rising superpower on a collision course with Western liberal democracies. The book challenges the myths and caricatures surrounding one of the world’s most secretive political organizations and its leader. Many observers initially believed Xi would guide China toward greater political openness, the rule of law and pro-market economics, but he had concealed his beliefs while rising through the party hierarchy. Since taking power, he has centralized decision-making, encouraged a personality cult and moved toward indefinite rule by abolishing presidential term limits, prompting fears of a return to Mao-style dictatorship. Under Xi, political zeal takes precedence over technical expertise, Marxism is emphasized, and the party’s influence reaches throughout Chinese society. China has also challenged Western pre-eminence in global affairs and presented its authoritarian system as a model for other countries. As a China reporter for the Wall Street Journal, Wong chronicled Xi’s strategy for suppressing dissent and advancing Beijing’s global interests. Drawing on years of first-hand reporting across China, he offers a clear, historically rooted account of the leader and the fear and fervour he inspires in his party, his nation and beyond.