Pekingology How the Chinese Communist Party Stays in Power
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Apr 2, 2026 Ben Hillman, director at the Australian Centre on China in the World and co-editor of a book on the CCP, discusses how the Party sustains rule. He explores ideology’s strategic flexibility. He examines linguistic engineering, patriotism, and co-optation of elites. He outlines organizational reach, cadre management, and when coercion is used.
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Pragmatic Ideology Drives Policy Framing
- CCP leaders are sincerely ideological but pragmatic, using Marxism-Leninism to legitimize rule while adapting theory to policy needs.
- Ben Hillman explains Marxist ideas like historical materialism shape policy framing (e.g., shifting principal contradictions).
Linguistic Engineering Shapes Public Reality
- Linguistic engineering is the CCP's deliberate shaping of language to control perceptions and legitimize transitions.
- Feng Yuanji's chapter shows slogans like "socialism with Chinese characteristics" and Tifa phrases set the ground rules for public discourse and history.
Marketized Patriotism Reinforces Legitimacy
- The CCP commodifies patriotism by harnessing markets and media to mobilize support.
- Delia Lin's chapter notes film funding and celebration of products like the Huawei Mate 60 turn consumption into patriotic signaling.
