Decoding Chinese Politics is a project of the Asia Society Policy Institute’s Center for China Analysis. The project aims to help demystify Chinese elite politics by mapping both formal and informal networks of power in the political system. It provides an interactive visualization tool and in-depth explainer essays to help policymakers, experts, corporate and non-profit stakeholders, and anyone interested in China to better understand Chinese elite politics and its impact on China’s domestic and foreign policies.

Decoding Chinese Politics has four main objectives: (1) to explain structures of decision-making power within the Chinese system; (2) to assess the impact of changes in China’s leadership across key policy areas; (3) to evaluate General Secretary Xi Jinping’s continuing level of personal, factional, and ideological control over the Chinese political system; and (4) to identify rising leaders within the next generation of Chinese leadership and assess their expected impact on Chinese politics and policy.

Currently, the project analyzes political institutions and leaders across eight key policy areas: Economy and Trade; Energy and Environment; Finance; Foreign Affairs; Hong Kong, Xinjiang, and Tibet; Military; Security; and Technology. The homepage analyzes the top leadership of the Chinese Communist Party, focusing on the 25-member Politburo and its 7-member Politburo Standing Committee. 

Decoding Chinese Politics is a living product and will continue to be updated to reflect new personnel movements, new institutional arrangements, new information, and new research conducted by scholars at the Center for China Analysis and beyond.

Decoding Chinese Politics is based on both public and private sources of information. Due in part to the opacity of the Chinese system, there may be errors or inaccuracies on the website. We welcome any corrections, as well as any tips on new information. Please send your comments to: [email protected].