Factionalism is widely understood to be a distinguishing characteristic of Chinese politics. In this book, first published in 2000, Jing Huang examines the role of factionalism in leadership relations and policy-making. His detailed knowledge of intra-party politics offers an alternative understanding of still-disputed struggles behind the high walls of leadership in Zhongnanhai. Huang traces the development of factional politics from its roots in the 'mountaintops' and the enduring impact of the personal bonds formed between Mao and his supporters at the Yan'an Round Table. Critiquing the predominant theories on leadership and decision-making, he explains that it is not power struggles that give rise to factionalism, but rather the existence of 'factionalism that turns power into an overriding goal in CCP politics'. Huang explains why policy outcomes switched constantly between 'Left-adventurism' and 'Right-conservatism' under Mao's reign and between 'emancipation of mind' and 'socialist spiritual civilization' in the Deng era.
List of figures and tables; Preface; List of abbreviations; Introduction; 1. Factionalism, the puzzle of Chinese communist politics; 2. Factionalism and the political system in China; 3. The establishment of the Yan'an round table; 4. The transition of the Yan'an round table; 5. Crises in leadership relations with the two-front arrangement; 6. The collapse of the Yan'an round table and the unleashing of factionalism; 7. Deng Xiaoping's dominance: factionalism prevails over the party spirit; 8. Conclusion; Selected bibliography; Index.
