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The Party: The Secret World of China's Communist Rulers

The Party: The Secret World of China's Communist Rulers

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  • Author：Richard McGregor
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Summary

Richard McGregor's The Party has been established as the book on China and its political leadership。 It is indispensable to understanding what may soon become the most powerful country on earth， and here is it is newly updated to include material on the once-in-a-decade leadership changes taking place in November 2012。

Newly updated version including analysis of the once-in-a-decade leadership changes taking place in November 2012

China's Communist Party is the largest， most powerful political machine in the world。 Here， Richard McGregor delves deeply into its inner sanctum， revealing how this secretive cabal keeps control of every aspect of the country - its military and media， legal system and businesses， even its religious organizations。 How has the Party merged Marx， Mao and the market to create a global superpower？ And what does this mean for the world？

'Extraordinary'， Sunday Times

'Masterful 。。。 entertaining and insightful'， Economist

'Superb 。。。 an essential， riveting guide to how the rising power really works'， Jonathan Fenby

'If you read only one book about China this year， it should be this one。 And if you do not read this book， you probably do not understand China today'， Arthur Kroeber， China Economic Quarterly

'A compelling exploration of the world's largest and most successful political machine'， New Statesman

'A book that is as informative as it is entertaining 。。。 China has been transformed。 The system that takes the credit is brilliantly described by McGregor'， Chris Patten， Financial Times

Having joined the Financial Timesin 2000 in Shanghai and being appointed China bureau chief in 2005， Richard McGregor is now Washington Bureau Chief for the FT。 McGregor has won numerous awards throughout his nearly two decades of reporting from north Asia， including a 2010 Society of Publishers in Asia Editorial Excellence Award for his coverage on the Xinjiang Riots and 2008 SOPA Awards for Editorial Intelligence。 He has spent twenty years in north Asia， starting in Taiwan， and then in Tokyo， Hong Kong and Beijing， where he established offices for The Australian newspaper。 He has also contributed articles and reports to the BBC， the International Herald Tribune and the Far Eastern Economic Review。

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Reviews

Scott H ，

The facts and interviews presented in this book are fantastic， brought about by years of persistent on the ground research。 They offer a fantastic and informative glimpse into the black box that is the CCP's power structure， style of governance， and societal control。 The case studies are compelling， and the way McGregor breaks down the complicated provincial system is illuminating。At the same time though， it is certainly clunky at parts， but more importantly I kept on getting this feeling that w The facts and interviews presented in this book are fantastic， brought about by years of persistent on the ground research。 They offer a fantastic and informative glimpse into the black box that is the CCP's power structure， style of governance， and societal control。 The case studies are compelling， and the way McGregor breaks down the complicated provincial system is illuminating。At the same time though， it is certainly clunky at parts， but more importantly I kept on getting this feeling that what I was reading occasionally double backed on earlier claims。 A lot of the broader trends， hypotheses more than given facts， seemed to be stepped back on later in the book as McGregor seemingly begrudgingly wrote that， yes， China's system is successful， adaptive， and has no hints of imminent collapse。 。。。more

Shikhar Garg ，

A must read if you want to understand the Chinese deep state and its presence in every aspect of the economy， governance and society。

Nilesh ，

Reading The Party about a decade since its publication throws good light on issues raised by perennial China skeptics。 The book is informative in its details on CCP's hold over life and everything else in China。 Its absolutism is laudatory at a level， even though most readers will wonder if the author - and similar commentators - would apply the same brush to nations and governments strategically more important to their host nations。 The main conclusions are elsewhere。 There is no dearth of expe Reading The Party about a decade since its publication throws good light on issues raised by perennial China skeptics。 The book is informative in its details on CCP's hold over life and everything else in China。 Its absolutism is laudatory at a level， even though most readers will wonder if the author - and similar commentators - would apply the same brush to nations and governments strategically more important to their host nations。 The main conclusions are elsewhere。 There is no dearth of experts uneasy with the Chinese ways ever since its growth started drawing their attention， particularly from the Tiananmen protests。 Almost all have forecasted an imminent political and economic collapse stressing the unsustainability of the Chinese ways while excessively drawing on the mistakes of the Mao times。China will have ups and downs in the years ahead。 The downcycles will be different from those elsewhere， even if equally or more/less painful， characterized by the Party's unique structure。 And yet， three things are lost in the analysis of the kind presented in the book。One， every system in the world is unique and causes its community to go through its distinctive cycles。 This is not to say some systems are not more wrong， but a perspective on any success matter to analyze any predicted doom。 None of the forecasted collapses of China have come to a pass so far。 Books of the kind must discuss what has allowed the party to go on so long before turning to incremental changes that could lead to a complete collapse from now。Two， Xi Jinping's era further solidifies that the Party continues to shift。 This is not a hindsight analysis， but even when the book was written， it was clear that the 2010 CCP was utterly different from the one in 1995， 1979， or 1965， as it is now from 2010。 It is important to recount events and disasters of the previous fifty years but the author - and many others - excessively use them to give their interpretations of reality now。Three， some things on human rights and individual freedoms are wrong absolutely。 End results in economic or political successes should not be used to either justify them or predictions of failures to announce their futility。 Champions of such causes， however， always bear the burden of proving their credentials that they are not prejudiced。 The book fails to establish this。In conclusion， the book is a helpful read to understand the pitfalls of standard China analysis we see in abundance these days。 。。。more

Lee ，

The Chinese Communist Party （CCP） is a ruling elite network that controls the Chinese government。 It has the power to hire and fire people from positions in government and firms。 Every senior government official is a member of the party， but not ever party member is in government。 Some party positions outrank government positions， or are functionally equivalent: eg， Xi Jinping is both the president of China and the general secretary of the CCP。 Curiously， the CCP is not a registered organization The Chinese Communist Party （CCP） is a ruling elite network that controls the Chinese government。 It has the power to hire and fire people from positions in government and firms。 Every senior government official is a member of the party， but not ever party member is in government。 Some party positions outrank government positions， or are functionally equivalent: eg， Xi Jinping is both the president of China and the general secretary of the CCP。 Curiously， the CCP is not a registered organization。 It is not recognized as a legal person by Chinese courts。 This has funny consequences: eg， a citizen can sue the government but not the party; disclosure documents do not mention the CCP， despite the fact that it has the power to fire a firms' officers。 Market reforms begun in 1978 mean that Chinese firms are expected to turn a profit。 Officials with the firm are held accountable by the CCP but given wide discretion otherwise。 That discretion has created opportunities for corruption， and the CCP fights that perception using kidnapping and torture。 I found this a very helpful introduction to the CCP。 McGregor has appeared on a recent ChinaTalk and Sinica podcast episodes。 Some updated facts and figures about the CCP are given in the articles appearing in this special report:https://www。economist。com/special-rep。。。 。。。more

Golding ，

Vital book to understand the CCP。The personal stories of Chinese people and the CCP's naked exercises of power keep the book moving; the linkage of those two elements into the big picture is used to explain what we see in China today - how the techniques the CCP uses to survive， and how their attempts to restructure society and the state have changed over time。It's also a beautiful thing to drive a wedge between the "Chinese People" and the CCP - they're not the same thing。 The people resist maj Vital book to understand the CCP。The personal stories of Chinese people and the CCP's naked exercises of power keep the book moving; the linkage of those two elements into the big picture is used to explain what we see in China today - how the techniques the CCP uses to survive， and how their attempts to restructure society and the state have changed over time。It's also a beautiful thing to drive a wedge between the "Chinese People" and the CCP - they're not the same thing。 The people resist majestically and consistently， driven by their desire to create businesses and make something of themselves， or the desire for truth and justice - and they've kept on resisting despite an inhuman， cultish mob of party members trying to stop them。 So it's interesting not just as an investigation of the systems of control， but also to humanize the individuals striving to resist it。Even within the CCP there are divisions - the book also makes it clear that it's made up of individuals who often come into conflict with each other。 In the same way that China is not the CCP， even the party isn't really unified。I loved it， absolutely vital for people who care about humanity， government， the modern world and our political future。 。。。more

Davis Parker ，

A bullet point review:- McGregor goes sector by sector through politics， the economy， culture， etc。 to explain how the CCP exercises control over life in China。 It is overwhelming how much power is consolidated in Beijing and the CCP's willingness to do whatever it takes to maintain its position of authority within the country。- McGregor describes at length the CCP’s efforts to cover up political， economic， and medical scandals。 It was very hard to read those stories and not think， “they’re defi A bullet point review:- McGregor goes sector by sector through politics， the economy， culture， etc。 to explain how the CCP exercises control over life in China。 It is overwhelming how much power is consolidated in Beijing and the CCP's willingness to do whatever it takes to maintain its position of authority within the country。- McGregor describes at length the CCP’s efforts to cover up political， economic， and medical scandals。 It was very hard to read those stories and not think， “they’re definitely lying about COVID-19。”- The book is about a decade old， so some of the examples are a bit dated。 There are a few mentions of Xi Jinping as the heir apparent to Hu Jintao， but Jack Ma， Huawei， and many of the other big names in contemporary Sino-dialogue are notably absent。 I would be eager to read an updated volume。- Some of the book is hard to follow unless you are well-read on Chinese history， geography， culture， and politics。 For example， I have little understanding of Chinese geography or insight into previous Chinese leaders not named Mao or Deng， so a lot of the characters and places blurred together。 As a reader， I took away more themes and trends than facts and names。 All in all， this was not my favorite book， but I'm glad to have read it - as it reinforced many of my assumptions about the CCP and has encouraged me to learn more about modern Chinese politics and culture。 。。。more

jennet wheatstonelllsl ，

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Carlisle ，

Stitches together events， interviews， turns of phrase and personal experience to create a really powerful， comprehensive picture of the CCP。

Edward ，

Kind of dull but I liked the history chapter

Dennis Murphy ，

The Party: The Secret World of China's Communist Rulers by Richard McGregor is a very revealing book， one that echoes the sentiments and experiences I gathered when I lived in Beijing， and one that reinforces my impressions from other media and nonfiction works。 I would highly recommend the book， if only for one main failing: The book is outdated。 Xi Jinping was a radically different leader from Hu Jintao， and the changes that has occurred in the years following his arrival as the Third Leader a The Party: The Secret World of China's Communist Rulers by Richard McGregor is a very revealing book， one that echoes the sentiments and experiences I gathered when I lived in Beijing， and one that reinforces my impressions from other media and nonfiction works。 I would highly recommend the book， if only for one main failing: The book is outdated。 Xi Jinping was a radically different leader from Hu Jintao， and the changes that has occurred in the years following his arrival as the Third Leader are both notable and jarring。 As such， this is in dire need of an update， one that covers a host of other issues and the changes that have occurred to that material that has been covered in the text。 I will say that I am even less surprised about Xi Jinping's rise having read this book than I was before。 That's a sign that McGregor did a very good job。89/100 。。。more

David Collee ，

Anyone interested to know about the Chinese politics can read this book without being disappointed。 As an organization alone， the Party is a phenomenon of unique scale and power。 Its membership surpasses seventy-three million， and it does more than just rule a country。 The Party not only has a grip on every aspect of government， from the largest， richest cities to the smallest far-flung villages in Tibet and Xinjiang， it also has a hold on all official religions， the media， and the military。 The Anyone interested to know about the Chinese politics can read this book without being disappointed。 As an organization alone， the Party is a phenomenon of unique scale and power。 Its membership surpasses seventy-three million， and it does more than just rule a country。 The Party not only has a grip on every aspect of government， from the largest， richest cities to the smallest far-flung villages in Tibet and Xinjiang， it also has a hold on all official religions， the media， and the military。 The Party presides over large， wealthy state-owned businesses， and it exercises control over the selection of senior executives of all government companies， many of which are in the top tier of the Fortune 500 list。 。。。more

Michelle ，

4/19/21 :this book provides me with a decent foundation for understanding McGregor's next books。 4/19/21 :this book provides me with a decent foundation for understanding McGregor's next books。 。。。more

Zo ，

I usually prefer conceptually oriented to narrative driven non-fiction， but this book is a strong example of a narrative-first tale that does enough conceptual zooming out to satisfy。 All the different stories contribute to a panorama of the CCP: the difficulties it faces， the contradictions it has entangled itself in， the role it plays in all walk of Chinese society; but also its immense achievements -- its stunning ability to manage a modernizing China and promote citizen happiness and prosper I usually prefer conceptually oriented to narrative driven non-fiction， but this book is a strong example of a narrative-first tale that does enough conceptual zooming out to satisfy。 All the different stories contribute to a panorama of the CCP: the difficulties it faces， the contradictions it has entangled itself in， the role it plays in all walk of Chinese society; but also its immense achievements -- its stunning ability to manage a modernizing China and promote citizen happiness and prosperity， flaws and all。 The book is framed as a sort of "tell-all" that reveals the dirty underbelly of the party。 And many of the stories it tells are horrifying。 The extent of corruption， the lack of respect for law， the intricacies of propaganda， the enforced ideological conformity -- to someone like me， brought up amidst WEIRD values， such stories cannot help but provoke moral indignation: what an unenlightened world！ What derision for human rights and dignity！Yet， there is a part of me that reads a book like this and feels more guilty of that initial reaction （and the fact that the book is geared to triggering such a reaction） than anything else。 Yes， there are many problems in Chinese society， and this book highlights some of the most ghastly skeletons in the closet。 But another way of reading this book is to see the series of stories as a testament to the incredible force that is the CCP -- a political party that has managed to unify a nation， bring millions of people out of poverty， and intertwine politics and business in a way that does， at least theoretically， keep societal interests in the forefront of an also developing economy。 The sheer ability to get things done -- and ability to accomplish things which would never be voted on in a democratic system -- is something to behold， especially when many party endeavors are backed by well-intentioned， rationalist， and technocratic thinking。 Now， I present that view of things because I think it *should* be said。 I would be lying if I said it represented my predominant thoughts。 My own sense of the importance of "truth" bristles too much when reading the chapter on the way the CCP controls historical narratives in school textbooks to let the "good faith" reading rule。 I walk away from a book like this marveling at the accomplishments of the CCP， deeply morally opposed to it， unsure *how* strong those feelings should be， and， most of all， truly uncertain whether to expect a collapse of the existing system that reveals its latent contradictions and inhumanity， or whether it will continue to strengthen its grip and provide a genuine challenge to the various political philosophies of the Enlightenment。 Given that this entire book was written in a pre-Xi era， I think the correct way to "update" on what has happened since is in the latter direction。 But that does not sit well。 Not one bit。 。。。more

Anita Nergaard ，

Excellent book providing insights into how the Party governs China。

Mariapaz ，

The Party: The Secret Power of China’s Communist Rulers by Richard McGregor is exactly as its title suggests。 A work based on the fact that has been able to give a thorough lesson on the origins and workings of the communist party in China。 To someone that is an outsider to Chinese politics， the insight that Richard McGregor gives into the party is one that has not been found in any other work I have seen。 His writings give the reader a deeper understanding of the inner workings of the party。 Ju The Party: The Secret Power of China’s Communist Rulers by Richard McGregor is exactly as its title suggests。 A work based on the fact that has been able to give a thorough lesson on the origins and workings of the communist party in China。 To someone that is an outsider to Chinese politics， the insight that Richard McGregor gives into the party is one that has not been found in any other work I have seen。 His writings give the reader a deeper understanding of the inner workings of the party。 Just from reading the first chapter anyone is able to know that the communist party in china exudes control over every aspect of their citizens lives。 From controlling the order its senior members walk out on stage to who can get married and when。 The party in communist China is one that has been able to shape itself for nearly a hundred years into a modern-day superpower。 However， these changes in power and emphasis on learning from a young age have not been without their own trials。 From the start， when the reader is dropped into the 2007 Congress of the Chinese Communist Party there is an overwhelming sense of power that exudes from the scene McGregor describes。 Implying that many of the politicians in China never really leave their positions of power， through their habit of dyeing their hair with “jet-black pompadours” that are meant to convey youth and hide their age。 McGregor further explains that this is “a habit only broken by retirement or imprisonment，” （McGregor 1）。 By focusing on a miniscule detail that not many would have noticed the author is able to show how much of a façade the communist party puts up。 A fact that is later confirmed with the constant change in titles to introduce senior party officials abroad。 With officials using democratic titles like President and Mayor when visiting democratic countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom in Europe。 However， these titles change yet again when senior party officials visit some of the few Communist ruling countries left。 Titles such as General Secretary of the Communist Party and Chairman。 Names that reference the Chinese communist party’s origins from communist Russia and their own ideals。 This distinction that McGregor makes of the party’s constant need to control its perception abroad is one that to many was not known。 To anyone from a democratic country， the leader of a country is often just the President or the Prime Minister。 To them， there is no such equivalent as a General Secretary ruling an entire country。 The Party as a whole takes on the mantel of changing the audience’s perception of how the communist party in China works。 It gives a new set of perspectives to aspects of daily Chinese life that as outsiders one would never think of or even have the opportunity to know of。 One of these perspectives is that of the youth that is living and learning in China。 When the topic of the Chinese system of government comes up in conversation it often comes to mind with the picture of old men in suits that have long been in politics。 However， with McGregor’s use of college students and their points of view on the government， the audience is able to learn what the general population of China genuinely thinks of the ruling class。 To some， it is an institution that has always been there and will always be there。 Adapting to the ‘trends’ of the time in order to stay up to date with the rest of the world。 A point of view not many outsiders would have thought existed in such a ‘restricted’ and controlled society。 This conversation with college students comes after a section where the education system of China is discussed。 Including a comparison to the way， many students are taught in the United States。 Some of these students point out the ways that the party has been able to weather many economic storms。 Such as that of the 2008 crisis in the United States。 One that affected much of the world， but China was able to prosper。 Throughout the book， McGregor is able to jump between the West and the East to make its reader understand the differences and virtues of the Chinese Communist Party。 。。。more

Matthijs ，

Despite having been written over a decade ago， with many of the interviews and events that McGregor draws on even having taken place in the late 90s and early 2000s， McGregor's analysis of the CCP feels current and its insights relevant to understanding the role of the Party in China's society and economy。 Part of this has to do with the fact that McGregor threads where most contemporary commentators don't， namely the obtuse Party system of committees and obscure departments。McGregor manages to Despite having been written over a decade ago， with many of the interviews and events that McGregor draws on even having taken place in the late 90s and early 2000s， McGregor's analysis of the CCP feels current and its insights relevant to understanding the role of the Party in China's society and economy。 Part of this has to do with the fact that McGregor threads where most contemporary commentators don't， namely the obtuse Party system of committees and obscure departments。McGregor manages to convey the intricacies and oddities of this Party apparatus by applying it to case studies， such as a journalist being stifled in his reporting or a private entrepreneur who is brought down when trying to battle a state monopoly。 And he does an excellent job of unraveling the myth of China's inevitable success （and the sustainability of the CCP） the past four decades， highlighting for example how Hu Jintao's taking over from Jiang Zemin represented the CCP's first peaceful transition of power in its history （in 2002！）。 McGregor's The Party succeeds to remain relevant because of its grand strokes and structural analysis yet fails to provide a deeper understanding of the actual （and current） state of the Party for the same reason。Where McGregor can be found to be lacking is， ironically， that which he argues the Party often fails to include as well， to wit "the people"。 Though some examples of 'commoners' having to fight the Party are listed， such as an evicted home-owner in Shanghai， McGregor doesn't analyze why Party membership has ballooned among common Chinese and how the changing faces of the Party have been interpreted and accepted by the general population。 Only at the concluding paragraph of his Afterword does McGregor highlight this overarching question which even in 2021 remains to be adequately answered。 It is in this same Afterword also that McGregor finally acknowledges a conclusion that is more or less downplayed throughout a book that focuses on failures of governance by the CCP， namely its invariable success so far in overcoming the various obstacles and threats to its existence （such as financial crises， a burgeoning middle class， and astonishing levels of inequality）。 Under Xi Jinping， the party has changed course （or reverted course， as some would argue， to Mao's days）， with the position of general secretary as primus inter pares， in particular under Hu Jintao， having been raised again to higher， perhaps even mythical， proportions。 Though McGregor's The Party pre-dates this new chapter of the CCP， the book does show how the Party has always been in flux， adapting to new conditions and perpetually searching for ways to remain in control over the population and interest groups， and in that way provides a convincing argument for its continued existence and likely hold over China for the foreseeable future。 。。。more

Jie ，

This is an entry level of book on the CCP。 It has everything you need to know about the CCP， although there is nothing secret in it。 His talk here helps to understand the depth of the his understanding。 https://www。youtube。com/watch？v=YqrnB。。。 This is an entry level of book on the CCP。 It has everything you need to know about the CCP， although there is nothing secret in it。 His talk here helps to understand the depth of the his understanding。 https://www。youtube。com/watch？v=YqrnB。。。 。。。more

Chris Brown ，

Razor sharp analysis of the structure and systems of the CCP

Steven Yenzer ，

Thorough and fascinating。 I don't know enough to judge any potential biases or inaccuracies （which I know often plague Western writing about China）， but McGregor's reporting seems objective。 Thorough and fascinating。 I don't know enough to judge any potential biases or inaccuracies （which I know often plague Western writing about China）， but McGregor's reporting seems objective。 。。。more

Stephanie ，

Very dense + assumes some prior knowledge of modern Chinese history。 That said， fascinating book on the CCP and how it’s stayed in power。

Lucas Napier-Macdonald ，

The Party is a great book。。。 it maintains a quick clip while going through everything the CCP controls in China: the army， the media， the private sector。 Occasionally， however， McGregor gets a bit too bogged down in details。 The reader is left wondering why he is reading about such and such a thing， and how the writer has strayed so far from the main thesis。 Although in some cases meandering can be fun， in this case it can often become a jumble of names whose purpose or position the reader doesn The Party is a great book。。。 it maintains a quick clip while going through everything the CCP controls in China: the army， the media， the private sector。 Occasionally， however， McGregor gets a bit too bogged down in details。 The reader is left wondering why he is reading about such and such a thing， and how the writer has strayed so far from the main thesis。 Although in some cases meandering can be fun， in this case it can often become a jumble of names whose purpose or position the reader doesn't remember， leading to。。。 impatience for the next chapter and a fresh start。 This is especially true in the chapter on the Shanghai Gang， where I skipped to the end。But definitely worth a read for those curious about China。 。。。more

Al Hynes ，

A very disappointing book that is so dreadfully boring。 In fact， it is more disappointing considering the topic is of extreme interest。 I persevered hoping to learn about the Chinese Communist Party's structures。 Instead， the book merely provided just chapter after chapter of the author explaining how sneaky the CCP through differing thematic vignettes based on his own interviews。 A truly dull book。 Chapters 4 & 8 focussing on the Party's approach to its military and history were the only ones I A very disappointing book that is so dreadfully boring。 In fact， it is more disappointing considering the topic is of extreme interest。 I persevered hoping to learn about the Chinese Communist Party's structures。 Instead， the book merely provided just chapter after chapter of the author explaining how sneaky the CCP through differing thematic vignettes based on his own interviews。 A truly dull book。 Chapters 4 & 8 focussing on the Party's approach to its military and history were the only ones I read from start to finish。 The others I couldn't without having to put the book down to go to sleep。 This book does not deserve any of the praise it seemingly has。 It is an anecdotal mess that offers no insight into the 'secrets' of 'China's Communist Rulers'。 Do not read if your intention is to learn about the CCP。 。。。more

Lynda ，

Published in 2010， this book is still highly relevant today。 It is essential background reading for anyone who reads about China in the WSJ， The Economist， the South China Morning Post， etc。 in today's media coverage。 I was impressed with the various people that the author spoke to while he was in China。 McGregor has one of the best grasps of the intricacies around how the Chinese communist party works。 He not only describes how the party actually works， he articulates very well the why of the p Published in 2010， this book is still highly relevant today。 It is essential background reading for anyone who reads about China in the WSJ， The Economist， the South China Morning Post， etc。 in today's media coverage。 I was impressed with the various people that the author spoke to while he was in China。 McGregor has one of the best grasps of the intricacies around how the Chinese communist party works。 He not only describes how the party actually works， he articulates very well the why of the party。 The communist party in China has done a great job in forging a strong path towards greater legitimacy and raison d'etre。 Of course， he does not gloss over the fact that the strategies and tactics deployed by the party to cement its power are not flawless and free of failure。 There are signs of cracking underneath as one can detect reading between the lines。 McGregor left the best to the last in the bombshell of a chapter， Tombstone: The Party and History。 It is an engrossing read。 As an amateur China-watcher， I am not sure what took me so long to finally read this book。 Better now than never though。 。。。more

Fang Tengbo ，

This book is outdated and extremely biased。 Richard McGregor doesn't know China or the Communist Party after the reforms by Chairman Xi Jinping。 Today， there are better books about the Chinese Communist Party's internal decision making process。 This book is outdated and extremely biased。 Richard McGregor doesn't know China or the Communist Party after the reforms by Chairman Xi Jinping。 Today， there are better books about the Chinese Communist Party's internal decision making process。 。。。more

Han-Ching Joyce Chiu ，

More a 3。5 stars than a full 4 stars。 To be fair， I'm not exactly sure what extra analysis I would want to read on this subject。 Maybe as someone from TW， we're exposed to more info in relation to China， so all these stories and explanations of how the china's communist party work came as no surprise to me。 But I guess I find it odd that in the very last chapter the author pivoted to suddenly concluding how well this system work for China despite its corruption。 By no means am I disagreeing with More a 3。5 stars than a full 4 stars。 To be fair， I'm not exactly sure what extra analysis I would want to read on this subject。 Maybe as someone from TW， we're exposed to more info in relation to China， so all these stories and explanations of how the china's communist party work came as no surprise to me。 But I guess I find it odd that in the very last chapter the author pivoted to suddenly concluding how well this system work for China despite its corruption。 By no means am I disagreeing with how corrupt and distasteful things are， simply pointing out the fact that if that were the conclusion he wished to draw， in the example incidents told here， the author should've included how such system was able to persist despite its disgusting nature。 On the other hand， I supposed it's concluded in the chapter on the relation to TW。 The Chinese government promoted a wealth/stability first philosophy in which its population put personal wealth and stability front and center and are trained to turn a blind eye on the unsavory nature of its government， who simultaneously cultivated the propaganda that all government are corrupt， so what if the communist party is type of attitude。 Anyway， I would recommend this book to people unfamiliar with the Chinese government， but it also won't tell you anything new if you paid any attention to global news in the last 50 years （especially for Asians）。 。。。more

Lisa MOK ，

A deep insight by a western journalist whose been in China long time。 He describes how the whole communist party system results in widespread untamed corruption， use of mafia-like tactics to suppress the truth， control of all organisations， both private and public with the sole purpose of staying in power。 Recommended read for those interested in how China and Hong Kong will be run in the immediate future。

George ，

When reviewing a book， I can't help but think of two obvious aspects: Did this book deliver on my expectations？ 。。。 and how well did it do it？ That's important in that this book delivered all I wanted from it but was like reading a phone book in many parts。 So， four stars！ Ha！This book gave a great introduction to the Chinese Communist Party and c2009 modern China。 It gave substantial insight into various aspects of the party and how it works within Chinese society to surf the popular waves and When reviewing a book， I can't help but think of two obvious aspects: Did this book deliver on my expectations？ 。。。 and how well did it do it？ That's important in that this book delivered all I wanted from it but was like reading a phone book in many parts。 So， four stars！ Ha！This book gave a great introduction to the Chinese Communist Party and c2009 modern China。 It gave substantial insight into various aspects of the party and how it works within Chinese society to surf the popular waves and direct the waves。 Also， it spells out well how corruption is a feature of the CCP and not a bug。 I recommend it as an introduction to the CCP and studying China。 It revealed areas where I wish I knew more: the Great Leap Forward， the Cultural Revolution， the imperialist era/Boxer Rebellion/Opium Wars， but knowledge of those things wasn't critical to understanding the book。 As with most books like this， you can skip to the Afterword to get the main points and So What。 You won't get 100%， because there's great stuff in the middle， but I admit it was a hard slog in the middle chapters。。。 but， hey 4 stars， because this was a book to learn from， not a Tana French mystery！ 。。。more

Grant ，

An effective topical study of the role of the CCP in modern China。 The Party continues to maintain full control， though not nearly as visible as it once was。

Grayson Ruhl ，

This book is probably one of the most significant works on the function of the CCP in the past decade。 While it lacks information on the changes due to the ascension of President Xi， it still offers an interesting look inside the Party and how it functions。 A large portion of the book is dedicated to the Organization Department of the CCP， which determines promotions and assignments of party officials。

Sulav Karki ，

Chinese communist party has been a real aberration in terms of communist parties around the world， esp its longevity and this book does a great job of explaining how CCP works。。 its various divisions， the relationship between party and govt and how you basically have a dual structure。 Fascinating book。

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Party: The Secret World of China's Communist Rulers

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Party: The Secret World of China's Communist Rulers&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Party: The Secret World of China's Communist Rulers&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0