The End of An Open Era

In June 1989, the CCP held a pivotal conference that officially dismissed Zhao Ziyang and "elected" Jiang Zemin as the new General Secretary. Under Jiang’s leadership, both economic and political reforms initiated by Deng Xiaoping were abruptly paused. Concerned by this halt, Deng undertook his famous "Southern Tour" in 1992, rallying public support for continued economic reforms and pressuring Jiang to resume the policies essential to China’s economic growth. However, political reforms introduced by Hu Yaobang and Zhao Ziyang were permanently sidelined, marking an end to aspirations for democratization within the CCP.

In 2002, the party "elected" Hu Jintao, a leader more willing to accelerate economic development yet notably conservative on political freedoms and democratic principles. In 2012, Hu passed his authority to Xi Jinping, who embarked on a new era defined by tightening control, resurrecting an era of dictatorship and totalitarianism. Under Xi’s leadership, political centralization and ideological rigor became dominant, effectively undoing any remaining momentum for liberalization within the CCP and establishing an authoritarian trajectory that continues to shape China’s future.