Beijing hits the limits of control

Subject

The Communist Party's approach to governance.

Significance

The Communist Party's record of authoritarian leadership is unprecedented in a major state in modern times. It has achieved it through instruments of control that have adapted to social, political and economic change. Now, amid the uncertainty of a new economic transition and growing international exposure, the Party feels a strong impulse to re-establish firm control.

Impacts

• As China's assets abroad increase, Beijing faces political risks (such as nationalisation) that it has no experience of managing.
• Overreach abroad could prove destabilising inside China.
• China's allegations of foreign interference in its sovereign affairs will appear increasingly hypocritical.