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China's Leadership Retreat: A Look into the Country's Power Dynamics

China's top leaders have wrapped up their annual summer retreat in Beidaihe, a seaside resort town east of Beijing. The retreat, which has been a tradition since the early 1950s, is a time for leaders to discuss policy and personnel issues behind closed doors. But under Xi Jinping's one-man rule, the nature of the power struggles has changed, with lower-ranking party officials competing for face time to assure Xi of their loyalty or push their own policy agendas.

Foreign Policy19 August 2026
China's top leaders have wrapped up their annual summer retreat in Beidaihe, a seaside resort town east of Beijing
Relationships

China's Leadership Retreat: A Look into the Country's Power Dynamics

China's top leaders have wrapped up their annual summer retreat in Beidaihe, a seaside resort town east of Beijing. The retreat, which has been a tradition since the early 1950s, is a time for leaders to discuss policy and personnel issues behind closed doors. But under Xi Jinping's one-man rule, the nature of the power struggles has changed, with lower-ranking party officials competing for face time to assure Xi of their loyalty or push their own policy agendas.

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