How Xi became a successful dictator

How did Xi Jinping become China’s most powerful man since Mao Zedong? This question was often asked. The most comprehensive answer so far comes from Cai Xia 蔡霞, a former dissident professor at the Central Party School, who in 2020 went into exile in the United States. In an interview with Li Yuan, a columnist at the New York Times and host of the Chinese podcast Bumingbai, Cai explained how Xi maneuvered to come to the totalitarian throne. The following text is a precis of what she said in the podcast.