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China Briefing
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  • The ultra-leftist revival threatens Xi’s plans to revive the economy and turn China into a dominant world power by 2049
  • It’s time to curb these ultra-nationalistic tendencies and return to pragmatic reform and development
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Wang Xiangwei, the Post’s former editor-in-chief, reflects on his career as a journalist, reporting on China, the need for a hiatus, and why he wants to return to Hong Kong.

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A fatal quarantine bus crash in Guiyang this month triggered an outpouring of anger and grief at the devastating impact of China’s zero-Covid policy. But stamping out the virus is now a political imperative, to be achieved whatever the cost.

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Fierce debate over a recent academic article on China’s closed-door policies of the past lays bare the unease being felt – both at home and abroad – over how long its present-day zero-Covid isolation will last.

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My family’s Hainan holiday nightmare is more than a cautionary tale for travellers in zero-Covid China. It’s a story of local officials ignoring direct orders from Beijing – and an arbitrary, abusable health code system being used for social control.

If the CCP wants to continue enjoying a high degree of faith by Chinese nationals, officials need to lock up their paranoia amid the Omicron wave of Covid-19.

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While the government has put on a brave face as economic storm clouds gather, retail and household income figures suggest the nation’s leaders are being too optimistic.

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With civilian casualties increasing and the international community rallying behind Ukraine, Beijing’s verbal acrobatics can’t be sustained. It needs a new playbook, writes Wang Xiangwei.

With Putin’s moves likely to hold the West’s attention for years yet, US attempts to contain China will take the back seat and Beijing will gain room to manoeuvre.

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Beijing’s warning against ‘colluding with capital’ sounds vague but is likely significant – and a sign its campaign targeting the private sector is about to widen, writes Wang Xiangwei.

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Focusing on people like Sun Lijun or Hu Huaibang in isolation, without shining light on those around them, belies the claim that no stone is being left unturned, writes Wang Xiangwei.

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The guiding philosophies of Jiang Zemin and Deng Xiaoping have been turned on their head. Nowadays firms must keep quiet while struggling to make money, writes Wang Xiangwei.

China’s clash with the United States has given leftists an opening to push for their agenda under the guise of patriotism and allegiance to communist ideals, writes Wang Xiangwei.

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The British actor was humiliated when he was caught in Los Angeles with a sex worker known as ‘Divine Brown’. Yet he still went on to make the romantic blockbuster Notting Hill.

The bombshell revelation that a top US general held secret phone calls with his Chinese counterpart reveals the risks inherent amid rising tensions – but Biden and Xi’s conversation this month is a promising sign that fraught ties can be reset when there are open lines of communication.

Scaling back capitalist excesses and reining in tech companies are sensible moves, long overdue and in line with the West’s shift in approach, writes Wang Xiangwei.

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A clampdown on high earners and efforts to expand the middle class are the cornerstones of Beijing’s bid to fight inequality, but a lack of details has led to rampant speculation – while strict state control over charities has also hampered China’s philanthropic sector.

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The catastrophic failure of American might against a ragtag opponent relying on Mao Zedong-style tactics has given Beijing a propaganda coup – and much to think about, writes Wang Xiangwei.

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A spate of unexplained regulatory moves against tech and education firms has not only put off top global investors like SoftBank, it has led to speculation that China has had a change of heart on opening up, writes Wang Xiangwei.

Chinese leaders should learn to publicly communicate their rationale, pay attention to market sentiment and give professionals more latitude to get ahead of issues of global impact.

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China’s ‘zero-Covid’ approach has been successful, but it risks leaving the country increasingly isolated as others open up – so approving inoculations such as Pfizer-BioNTech will help the country re-engage with the world.

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As the Chinese Communist Party gears up for its centenary on July 1, the city of Yan’an – where two of the country’s leaders lived – has become a sacred site. But it is also where Americans Edgar and Helen Foster Snow interviewed Mao and brought his story to the West, a prospect that would be much more difficult today.

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The island’s transformation into global trade hub is far from assured, not least because of its chequered past as a base for exiles and smugglers. It is not known for efficiency or being business friendly. Nor for its nightlife, writes Wang Xiangwei.

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Mao’s relationship with Snow, Strong and Smedley was a media masterclass; as was Deng’s two-day interview with Oriana Fallaci; and Jiang’s tough 60 minutes with Mike Wallace, writes Wang Xiangwei.