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ll eyes have been turned on the Chinese leader Xi Jinping ever since the 20th National Congress in October 2022, renewed his term as general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party, securing his position to advance his agenda for at least the next five years. His re-appointment completes a comprehensive power grab that has been gathering pace and highlights Xi’s dominance over the Chinese political system.

With its rivalry with the U.S. heating up, understanding Xi’s China is now more important than ever. Even more important is understanding the man himself considering his rigorous power and hold over the country, as well as the potential weight of his decisions in shaping international affairs.

Who is Xi Jinping? Although he came to power a decade ago, he remains an enigmatic leader who is often approached as a dictator in Western publications. His unprecedented power has been unmatched since Mao Zedong. Sinologist Kerry Brown, professor at King’s College and associate fellow at the Asia-Pacific program at Chatham House, helps dispel some of the enigma as Xi: A Study in Power comes as an easy-to-read primer on this influential leader.

Brown provides an overview of Xi’s motives and his prevalence in contemporary China. The book is part biography which covers Xi’s life from his family’s reversed fortune in his early childhood to his more recent rise to power and ambitious campaigns in China and abroad, and part analysis of his power and the impact of his rule on the West.

Xi: A Study in Power gives the reader an understanding of Xi’s vision for China’s future and what it means for the rest of the world. The book highlights that Xi has prioritized the stability of Chinese society and the astounding economic growth of China, while ensuring that nothing challenges the political status quo and the prevalence of the Chinese Communist Party.

Brown assesses the topics with China at the forefront that have had ubiquitous media coverage around the world, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects on Xi’s power, protests in Hong Kong, and the reports of the cruel human rights abuses taking place in the Xinjiang region. He also analyzes how these events have been served to the Chinese public within the tightly controlled media to withhold Xi’s ambitions.

For those whose interest has been sparked by the latest global developments involving China but are overwhelmed with the inescapable number of new speculations, Xi: A Study in Power is a good place to start to understand China through its sensational leader. The book is sure to leave the reader with a heightened curiosity on the topic and sufficient information to build upon.

Kerry Brown, Xi: A Study in Power (Icon Books, 2022) ISBN: 9781785788086, 256 pages