Trust in U.S. institutions has plunged while China saw the biggest trust gains among its own citizens, according to the 2018 Edelman Trust Barometer,

If many analysts prove correct in their forecasts, China’s military leadership will undergo the largest-ever turnover of military elite in the history of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) at the 19th Party Congress this October.

Xi Jinping’s administration has emphasized the promotion of leaders who have worked in China’s poorest and most remote provinces, or “hardship” regions. But not all emerging heavyweights with experience in hardship regions are Xi Jinping’s protégés. In fact, some have strong personal ties to Hu Jintao (胡锦涛) and Li Keqiang (李克强).

The new system evolving in the anti-corruption campaign will not only integrate the existing supervisory bodies and their functions, but extend the scope of the oversight of the CPC’s discipline watchdog from Party members to all public officials. Pilot programs in three very different regions will provide examples for future reforms.

Massive corruption involving officials from the nation’s top level to the lowest local governments has not only damaged the image of Chinese officials but also seriously eroded the administrative ability of governments at all levels. The elevation of the president is not a personality cult but a move to preserve China’s ability to govern effectively.

The People’s growing financial and political impact around the globe means that what happens in China matters everywhere. Thus, stability and predictability are important virtues. Yes, as Doug Bandow argues, political opacity is necessary as the interests of the Chinese coincide with those of outsiders.

High-profile arrests like those carried out in China in recent years are insufficient to curb corruption in a lasting manner. Reducing pervasive government intervention in the economy and encouraging greater competition would reduce the near-monopolistic rents that create the incentives for corruption in the first place.

One of the major challenges for China’s leadership lies in enacting the rule of law by borrowing from Western principles while preserving China’s self-identity embodied in part in the Confucian ideology of the rule of virtue.

Moderating growth rates in the range of 5-7% per annum reflect the higher per capita income level and the changing growth paradigm in China. A modest slowdown is a necessary and healthy adjustment for China to transition to a new trajectory of more efficient and sustainable growth. But instead of greeting such a positive "new normal" with enthusiasm, the naysayers have reacted with dismay as though they would rather prefer the old growth model.

Modernizing state governance in China depends on the successful promotion of rule of law, to stimulate orderly participation of the public and to maximize the public interest.