There’s a distinct difference between power and influence. The former allows an individual, organization, or government to impose its will on others. The latter, meanwhile, is a far more subtle way of affecting the behaviors and attitudes of others. Xi Jinping is certainly the most powerful man in China, but he’s not the most influential.
That title goes to Wang Huning, a man who has been shaping Chinese policies for decades, long before Xi rose to prominence. Without his work, China probably wouldn’t be the powerhouse it is today. Without his unique insights, China probably wouldn’t pose such a grave threat to the United States. […]
The work of Alexis de Tocqueville, the French philosopher and political scientist who spent 10 months in the U.S. studying the merits and potential pitfalls of democracy, had a profound impact on Wang. In 1988, at the age of 32, Wang spent six months traveling across the U.S., identifying the many cracks in American society. In 1991, Wang published America Against America, an eye-opening book that describes both his time in the U.S and what he discovered during his travels. […]
Alarmed by what he saw, Wang suggested that a new authoritarianism was the only way to stop China from resembling the U.S. His proposed post-Maoist form of governance was a sort of enlightened autocracy—order, he emphasized, was desperately needed. In an essay written during his time in the U.S., Wang urged the CCP to instill “core values” like patriotism and loyalty in the people of China. A united China would thrive. Läs artikel