Exploring critics' perspectives on Xi Jinping, especially regarding China’s growth slowdown and missteps under his leadership:
🚦The Critics’ Lens: Xi Jinping’s Economic Slowdown and Governance Misfires
When Xi Jinping assumed China’s presidency in 2013, the nation was enjoying its famed double-digit GDP growth—an era of seemingly unstoppable economic ascent. But critics contend that these golden days faded swiftly under his tenure, and hold Xi responsible for several pivotal miscalculations.
1. From Decades of Blaze to Cooling Flames
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Sharp deceleration after Xi’s rise: Growth, once hovering near 10%, fell to official reports of ~5% by 2023. Actual indicators suggest it might’ve been only 1–2% in real terms after COVID lockdowns (foreignaffairs.com).
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Long-term drag factors: Analysts attribute the slowdown to heavy-handed state capitalism—rising SOE debts, a bursting real-estate bubble, and low consumer confidence—all intensified under Xi’s rule .
2. Critique of Xi's Economic Strategy
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Retreat from market reforms: Xi reined in private-sector dynamism. Purges in tech, restrictions on tutoring and ride‑hailing, and CCP watchdogs on corporate boards have discouraged entrepreneurial confidence (en.wikipedia.org).
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Debt-heavy stimulus, but little reform: Critics argue Xi's top-down investments in real estate and infrastructure often resulted in inefficient capital use, swelling local debt while neglecting true structural reform (e.g., property taxes, hukou reform, fiscal overhaul) .
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Echo-chamber leadership: Concentration of power made Xi less responsive to feedback, raising the chance of policy errors—some warn his "one-man rule" stokes populist unrest (foreignaffairs.com).
3. Key Missteps Critics Believe Xi Has Made
| Issue | Critics’ Concern |
|---|---|
| Zero-COVID & abrupt reopening | The harsh lockdowns were seen as overly authoritarian; the chaotic reopening triggered health crises (asiasociety.org). |
| Private sector crackdown | Sweeping regulations on tech, education, and finance have destabilized major growth engines . |
| Real estate and debt crises | State-led investment binge fueled property collapse and soaring debt among local governments and SOEs . |
| Stifling consumer confidence | High youth unemployment, lagging incomes, and murky financial markets persist amid weak domestic demand . |
| Political repression & purges | Harsh anti-corruption campaigns eliminated both rivals and loyalists, creating governing instability . |
| Centralizing policy control | A tight grip on the economy may suppress innovation and agile responses to challenges . |
4. Longer-Term Worries: Middle-Income Trap & Demographics
Critics caution that China risks becoming trapped—unable to transition smoothly to a more advanced, consumption-led growth model due to aging demographics, debt burdens, and weak reforms (marketwatch.com).
They argue that Xi’s reluctance to embrace deeper economic liberalization—land, education, and social welfare reform—could solidify this stagnation.
5. The Political-Economic Tradeoff
Xi's ruling philosophy emphasizes party control and self-reliance. But critics say:
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Party strength has grown, yet public trust in the system has weakened under youth unemployment and economic stagnation .
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Continuous purges and ideological campaigns may serve political consolidation, but they undermine elite trust and governance stability (asiasociety.org).
🔍 Final Thoughts
Critics of Xi see a paradox: his rule is more centralized than any since Mao, yet his economic record is underwhelming by China’s own recent standards. They argue Xi has replaced Deng-era pragmatism and private-sector vitality with state-led orthodoxy, regulatory crackdowns, and political control, culminating in slower growth, rising debt, and shakier confidence.
Whether Xi’s strategy succeeds—or whether it slides China into a middle-income abyss—remains a defining question of his era. For now, critics warn that the quest for control may have come at the expense of economic dynamism, and that reversing this trajectory will require bold reform choices Xi has so far resisted.
📚 Want to dive deeper?
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Foreign Policy on post-COVID economic performance
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Vox on Xi’s incomplete economic plans (vox.com)
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Asia Society analysis of purges and governance risks (asiasociety.org)
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MarketWatch coverage on export-led model breakdown (marketwatch.com)
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Reuters/Bloomberg on debt, stimulus, and Xi’s priorities (wsj.com)
In essence, critics ask: Has Xi traded China's greatness for greater control—and is that bargain paying off?
1/ 🚨 Under Xi Jinping, China went from blazing economic growth to a serious slowdown. Critics say the golden days ended because of Xi’s choices—not despite them.
— Paramendra Kumar Bhagat (@paramendra) June 12, 2025
Here’s a thread on what they say went wrong 👇🧵
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