How Xi Jinping went from China’s Gorbachev to a combination of Mao and Stalin

In the last decade, Xi has not only meticulously dismantled Deng's democratic moderation but also distanced himself from his father whose enormous goodwill was the main reason for Xi's rise. Like many others in the CPC, Xi too is a princeling—a derogatory term used in China for leaders who rise up the ranks due to nepotism and cronyism. Coming after four general secretaries trained under Deng Xiaoping's liberal ideological wings, Xi Jinping was widely seen as someone who would further that agenda. 10 years later, when he rose before the National People's Congress seeking approval for the extension of his…