Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book examines the changes inside the ruling Chinese Communist Party, in particular the interaction between meritocracy and intra-party democratic experiments, and how that impacts the adaptability of the Party. The book surveys the many rounds of State Council reforms carried out by previous governments during the reform era. It provides an insightful, in-depth analysis of the process through which Xi Jinping consolidated his power over the military, as well as the formation of the new Central Military Commission (CMC) under him. The book discusses the new crop of provincial leaders who took office right before the 18th Party Congress. It describes a relatively new but increasingly important issue, China's economic activities abroad: in this case, China's economic relations with the European Union (EU). It provides a broad picture of China's demographic trends, with an abundance of detailed statistics and charts.