At the CCP’s Sixth Plenum, hosted in Beijing on November 8–11, 2021, General Secretary Xi Jinping turned to the past to fortify his future, issuing a historical resolution reflecting on the previous 100 years of the CCP and identifying himself as the leader who will bring China into its next era as a great power. Despite this, questions are circulating regarding Xi’s eventual successor as well as potential instability among the rival factions within the party, especially as the CCP gears up for the 20th Party Congress in October 2022.

As Xi tightens his grip on power in the face of potential internal dissent and looming economic challenges, this discussion will assess the stability of the party-state heading into 2022, how Beijing will navigate a complex range of social and economic problems, how these might affect Xi’s strategy toward Taiwan in the coming months and years, and in turn, what this means for U.S. policy toward Taiwan.

The National Bureau of Asian Research convened an event on Wednesday, December 1, 2021, at which Taiwan Economic and Cultural Office of Seattle Director General Daniel Kuo-ching Chen delivered opening remarks and William C. McCahill Jr., and Theresa Lou discussed CCP stability and the implications for Taiwan with moderator Rachel Bernstein.