What Explains the Resilience of Chinese Communist Party Rule?

The outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan deepened the impact of an already-slowing Chinese economy, and raised questions about the durability of Chinese Communist Party (CCP) rule. China’s citizens initially expressed outrage at local government mishandling of the initial response to the pandemic, but this was soon followed by widespread support once the country’s central government took tough action to lock down the city of Wuhan, followed by a shutdown of most of the country. This has been aided by the relatively strong rebound of the economy in the second quarter of 2020. Dissatisfaction with local government performance but greater satisfaction with the central government is in line with the findings of numerous surveys conducted in recent years.This is not the first time that the CCP has faced questions about its ability to retain credibility; still, over 40 years into the reform era and 70 years into its rule, the CCP’s control appears solid and retains generally strong support. Especially following the collapse of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) in 1991, observers within and outside of China surmised that the CCP might be the next to fall. However, it has survived and thrived.