China's leaders : the new generation / Cheng Li.

Includes bibliographical references (p. 245-264) and index.

Who will govern China at the dawn of the twenty-first century? What are the social backgrounds and career paths of the new generation of leaders? How do they differ from their predecessors in their responses to perplexing economic and socio-political challenges? Drawing upon a wealth of both quantitative and qualitative data on the so-called "fourth generation" of leaders--those who were young during the Cultural Revolution--Cheng Li sheds valuable light on these key questions. He shows that this group is more diversified than previous generations of CCP leaders in formative experiences, political solidarity, ideological conviction, and occupational background.

Coming of Age: A New Generation of Leaders -- The Rise of Technocrats: Elite Transformation in the Reform Era -- The Fourth Generation of Leaders: A Biographical Analysis -- The "Qinghua Clique": School Networks and Elite Recruitment -- Taizi and Mishu: Informal Networks and Institutional Restraints -- Collective Characteristics: Attitudes and Outlooks of the New Generation of Elites -- Intra-Generational Diversity and Its Implications.