The Third Magic Weapon: Reforming China's United Front

P. Mattis & A. Joske, WOTR
Last week in Xiamen, Chinese Politburo Standing Committee member Wang Yang presided over a routine conference on cross-strait relations and the relationship with the Taiwanese people. Wang observed that the current trends supported national reunification and national rejuvenation. Such meetings are part-and-parcel of the united front policy system, which helps the Chinese Communist Party consolidate its power and security by building control over non-party groups ranging from overseas ethnic Chinese to ethnic minorities and businesspersons. The routine makes it difficult to see change. In...