The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leadership’s insistence on reverting to a discredited past era and disregarding the public’s need has led to domestic opposition, rendering the top echelon an “isolated political clique,” critics said.
“The contrast between public opinion and the official stance is starkly evident,” Chinese lawyer Mr. Wu (a pseudonym) commented.
He noted, “Nowadays, official media outlets routinely disable their comment sections, signaling a complete disconnect between the narratives endorsed by authorities and those held by the general public,” remarked Mr. Wu to the Chinese language edition of The Epoch Times.
He mentioned that many of his acquaintances in the CCP officialdom have criticized Xi Jinping in private settings such as meals and personal gatherings.
Mr. Wu said Xi has prioritized political stability at the cost of economic development since his second term. “It involved tighter social control and increased political suppression, simply to consolidate his political power,” he said.
In a 2021 training session of the Party School of the CCP Central Committee, Xi demanded young officials “stay loyal to the party” and “dare to struggle,” which was seen as a way to secure his grip on power.
Ding Shu-fan, a researcher at the Center for International Relations at National Chengchi University in Taiwan, said the general Chinese view towards Xi since the pandemic has differed significantly from his early tenure. “The severe stagnation of the Chinese economy since the pandemic has definitely led to a surge in societal grievances,” said Mr. Ding.
He said Xi’s decision-making circle is extremely small, a stark contrast to the past leadership. “He trusts very few people and distrusts most, leading to a situation of biased listening,” said Mr. Ding.
“Xi has eliminated all factions, leaving no room for dissenting voices. Consequently, there’s no competing voice; only Xi’s remains,” he said.
Whether it’s Cai Qi or the premier Li Qiang, whose promotion relies entirely on Xi, making it difficult for them to express differing opinions, according to Mr. Ding. “They function merely as Xi’s faithful policy implementers,” he said.
“Xi himself is the factor causing societal instability,” Mr. Zheng (a pseudonym), who recently fled China, said, “Since Xi came to power, he has failed at everything.”
Mr. Zheng described what Chinese society has been experiencing under Xi’s rule in recent years: The real estate market is struggling, businesses are finding it hard to survive, and unemployment is on the rise, with many companies resorting to cost-cutting measures and salary reductions.
He said, “In China, many people have mortgages, and once they lose their jobs, they’re stuck with their loans, and at a risk of losing their homes. For many Chinese, their homes are their spiritual pillars.”
Journalist Pierre-Antoine Donnet, former editor-in-chief of Agence France-Presse (AFP), described China as a “pressure cooker about to explode” in his recent article after contacting and interviewing internal sources.
According to sources, the dominant feeling is fear. Many senior Party officials feel useless, to the point of spending their time playing cards. This hides a widespread feeling among the governing bodies: there is nothing more to be done, stated the article.
Mr. Zheng agreed that China resembles a pressure cooker that’s about to explode. He said that now is the best time to overthrow the authoritarian regime.
He mentioned that during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders’ Week 2023 in San Francisco, a slogan read, “Welcome, the accelerator-in-chief, the downfall of the CCP relies on you.”
“It truly resonated. Who knows what he will do next? With the troubles both internally and externally in recent years, all it takes is a spark,” said Mr. Zheng.
Mr. Wu said that it depends on how long Xi will live, and he doubted if Xi would be able to maintain complete control.
“Given the prolonged changes in China’s economy and various social factors, societal discontent has reached a critical point, and there’s inevitably something that will erupt—it’s just a matter of time,” he said.
