Michael Sheridan, an experienced foreign correspondent, offers an incisive analysis of Xi Jinping’s mindset, which he describes as akin to the ancient Confucian philosophy that still holds sway in Chinese politics. Xi’s cognitive model has been moulded over the years, significantly by the hardships endured by his family during the Cultural Revolution, notably his father, People’s Liberation Army war hero Xi Zhongxun, who was imprisoned as a rightist.
Xi’s own experiences of relocation to Shaanxi and the trials his father went through later instilled in him a Machiavellian skill set that played a substantial role in his ascendancy to power in 2012. Sheridan’s book delves unabashedly into the life journey of this enigmatic figure, who rarely recognizes this own story. Much information is gleaned from exiled dissidents and Hong Kong’s Causeway Bay Books publications; the latter caused the capture and extradition of its owners to China in 2015.
Sheridan’s reportage stands out due to the freedom he has to gather information about China, not being reliant on the country for continued access like other writers. He takes a deep dive into Xi who has created a peculiar personality cult resembling a tyrannical middle manager, pushing his drab ghostwritten publications on the entire nation, while trying to project a projection of Chinese confidence on the world stage. Xi is portrayed as a hard-drinking, womanizing man with shady acquaintances from his rise through the Communist Party ranks.
In addition to this, several subjects are briefly touched upon such as an exploration of the double-edged weight-loss drug Ozempic, a swim through a memoir of wild swimming in Ireland, an examination of The Golden Road by William Dalrymple, demonstrating the openness and acceptance of ideas at the pinnacle of India’s influence, and an interpretation of Irish Magic’s history.
Despite his formidable political acumen, Xi has fallen short in his ability to effectively govern, as evidenced by his stumbling from one calamity to another. His handling of the Covid-19 pandemic in China was particularly ill-judged, snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. But, Sheridan firmly believes that the ‘Red Emperor’is invincible, predicting that China will likely have him at the helm until his last breath. The only conceivable disruption to this scenario could be if Xi’s desire for self-protection begins to be outweighed by the larger force of the Communist Party. This possibility might come to fruition should Xi’s poor governance persist.