The ‘Three Pats’: Xi Jinping’s Enduring Governance Dilemma

In Xi’s China, two narratives exist in uneasy tension – one encouraging experimentation by local officials, the other doubling down on discipline.

By Deborah Lehr as featured on The Diplomat

Fifteen years into his tenure, having consolidated power and elevated his trusted leadership team into the highest echelons of the Communist Party and state, President Xi Jinping still faces a fundamental challenge: how to build a government that is not merely obedient, but capable – one that is incentivized to govern effectively, to take initiative, and to act in the long-term interest of the country.

It is relatively easy to instill fear. The anti-corruption campaigns that have marked Xi’s rule have unquestionably reshaped the political and business landscape. Officials across China have learned that missteps, real or perceived, can end careers or worse. The result is a bureaucracy that is increasingly cautious, reactive, and inward-facing.