Joseph Torigian discusses the life of Xi Jinping’s father, Xi Zhongxun, and how his legacy shapes the worldview of one of the world’s most powerful leaders today. Torigian’s new book, The Party’s Interests Come First: The Life of Xi Zhongxun, Father of Xi Jinping, examines the elder Xi’s role as a revolutionary and early leader in the Chinese Communist Party. The book, due to be published in June, is the first English-language biography of Xi Zhongxun.
Torigian is an Associate Professor at the School of International Service at American University and a Research Fellow at the Hoover History Lab at Stanford University. He studies authoritarian regimes, focusing on elite power struggles, civil-military relations, and grand strategy. In particular, he investigates how leaders in those nations secure themselves against threats at home and abroad.
ChinaFile Editorial Fellow Jeremy Goldkorn spoke with Torigian on March 6, 2025.
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