At first glance, America and China would appear to have very little in common. In one respect, however, they are quite similar—their levels of inequality. Like America, but for different reasons, China has a very skimpy welfare state, and a wealthy elite with strong incentives to keep it that way. Like Biden, Xi seems to be determined to do something about this situation. Will he succeed?
Having accumulated a tremendous amount of power in his hands, he is well-positioned to do so. Taking on his peers, however, is a difficult task. He may not have to deal with donors and lobbyists, to say nothing about a legal opposition, but he still has to answer, to some extent, to the rest of the CCP. Politics may be structurally different in China, but they haven’t disappeared altogether.
My guess is that he will back off when the resistance gets fierce, but only time will tell.