Publication

This brief examines the implications of the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) 18th Party Congress. The congress was pivotal as it represented the emergence of a new generation of Chinese political leaders who joined the CCP during the turbulent Cultural Revolution. The author argues that the congress laid out three clear messages: the continuity of the CCP, the re-assertion of the Party’s traditional orthodox values and discipline, and the need to focus on domestic issues including gradual economic reforms. In concluding, the brief states that China will increasingly focus on security, both on land and at sea. This has consequences for other powers, particularly Japan and India.