Reflections on China and U.S.-China Relations in 2021

For nearly a decade, Chinese leadership planned for 2021 to be a pivotal year for China. It was to be celebrated as the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese Communist Party in 1921. And it was therefore set as the year in which Chinese President Xi Jinping was determined that the country would reach the level of a “moderate prosperous society,” thereby accomplishing the first of two “cente- nary goals” meant to forever define his legacy as the leader who achieved the “Chinese Dream” of “national rejuvenation.”

But 2021 turned out to be a more decisive year for China – and indeed for the world – than anyone, Xi included, could have predicted. Even as the COVID-19 pandemic continued to beset humanity and isolate China from the rest of the world, 2021 also saw profound changes within China, from its politics to its economic policy settings and to its society, culture, and media.

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To read the full report from the Asia Society Policy Institute, please click here.