But more often than not, authoritarian regimes are deeply institutionalized. President and Communist Party General Secretary Xi Jinping has amassed more power than any Chinese leader since Mao Zedong. But the Communist Party of China consists of roughly 100 million members, and is deeply rooted in every village, classroom and factory. In 2011, I was living in Beijing when North Korean leader Kim Jong Il died unexpectedly. The lesson is that decapitation of deeply institutionalized authoritarian regimes often doesn’t create a vacuum.

Source: Washington Post April 02, 2026 16:29 UTC