A century after its underground beginnings, the Chinese Communist Party today exerts far-reaching control over every aspect of private life. Beyond its legendary control of the internet within China's borders, even seemingly non-political domains are subject to its authority: routine business deals require party approval; university courses reflect party doctrine; and party families amass incredible wealth while other enterprises are squeezed out. Experts predicted that the Party leadership would mellow as the country’s economic fortunes soar, but the next generation of political heavyweights is keeping a tight grip on the reigns of power. Today's huge new class of young professionals, whether they believe in the Party’s ideology or not, are as focused as ever on strengthening the Party's role and silencing dissent. In The Party Forever, Rowan Callick goes behind the scenes to reveal the workings of China’s political elite, introduce us to its future leaders and explore how prepared it is to meet the challenges of its new role in the twenty-first century. This is an essential and eye-opening account of this poorly understood but hugely influential player in world politics.

 

About The Author:

Rowan Callick is Asia-Pacific editor for The Australian and was previously its Beijing-based China correspondent. He has also been the China correspondent (based in Hong Kong) for the Australian Financial Review, a senior writer with Time magazine, and his work has appeared in Foreign Policy. He received the Graham Perkin Award for Journalist of the Year in 1995 and has won two Walkley Awards for Asia Pacific coverage. He lives in Melbourne, Australia.