FP This Week: What happened at China’s 20th Party Congress?

And what the heck just happened to Hu Jintao? [Foreign Policy This Week]( October 24, 2022 | [View in browser]( To access all the benefits of an FP subscription, [sign in]( or [subscribe](. Thanks for reading. Chinese President Xi Jinping’s third term atop the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), locked in at the 20th Party Congress over the weekend, is a gift in disguise for Western policymakers. That’s according to Craig Singleton of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, who [argues]( “what you see with Xi is what you get”—and that, like most autocrats, Xi intends to “double down” on a set of self-destructive policies that ensure China’s economy and people suffer the most. In the biggest upset of the Congress, former CCP leader Hu Jintao was publicly escorted out of the hall. The reason behind this rare moment of live TV drama remains a mystery, but FP’s James Palmer [considers]( the possibilities, inclined to believe Xi sought to “deliberately and publicly humiliate his predecessor” to ram home the message of total power. For more on the era of “maximum Xi Jinping,” Beijing-based journalist Melinda Liu and former Obama administration advisor Evan Medeiros joined FP editor in chief Ravi Agrawal for an [FP Live]( event today, titled “Deciphering China’s 20th Party Congress.” Together with Palmer, they also answered questions on Taiwan, [semiconductors]( and Xi’s relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin. You can watch the on-demand video on our [FP Live portal]( or read a condensed transcript of the conversation [here](. For further analysis on the Party Congress, check out FP’s [special coverage site](. —The Editors Image credit: Noel Celis via Getty Images --------------------------------------------------------------- New and Noteworthy - Everything, Everywhere, All at Once: In his latest column, Stephen M. Walt describes a “gnawing fear that we are living through a series of disruptions that are overwhelming our collective ability to respond.” What does this mean for public confidence in the entire political system, and is there any cause for optimism? [Read the argument](. - Join FP at COP27: Foreign Policy is hosting a series of [public and private events]( featuring leaders, experts, and advocates working on climate justice, the transition to a more green economy, climate resilience and adaptation, the impacts of climate on health, and more. Learn more about our programs on the ground in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, from Nov. 8 to Nov. 10. 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[Register here](. --------------------------------------------------------------- Comment of the Week FP Subscriber Josué Nuss: Do the opinions and reactions on the 20th Party Congress differ from one province to another or are they more or less the same everywhere? How have the Hong Kongers reacted so far to the Congress? FP Deputy Editor James Palmer: Opinions within the mainland are pretty standardized: Papers use the same language, often pulling copy directly from Xinhua [News Agency], which is an old technique to avoid making any political errors. There used to be more of a sense of regional champions—figures closely associated with particular areas, like Deng Xiaoping and Sichuan [province]—but that seems to be much less the case nowadays. If [former Liaoning province leader] Bo Xilai hadn’t fallen a decade ago, you might have had a real “hometown spirit” from Chongqing. Hong Kongers are unhappy as far as we can tell—but they have very little way to voice that unhappiness in the city nowadays without being arrested. Thanks to all subscribers who submitted questions to deputy editor James Palmer. Read the highlights from last week’s [Q&A session]( on what the Chinese Communist Party’s 20th National Congress means for China’s future—and the rest of the world. Plus, stay up to date on the latest news and analysis by signing up for [China Brief](. --------------------------------------------------------------- Exercise Your Mind Last Tuesday, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong confirmed her country was walking back its controversial diplomatic recognition of what? - Taiwan as an independent country - The Falkland Islands as part of Argentina - West Jerusalem as Israel’s capital - Nagorno-Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan You can find the answer to this question at the end of this email. 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