by Ziyang Zhao
Zong Fengming sits across from Zhao Ziyang in the cramped quarters of a Beijing hutong. The former Communist Party General Secretary has been under house arrest for over a decade, stripped of power after opposing the violent crackdown at Tiananmen Square in 1989. Only Zong, his old comrade masquerading as a qigong healer, can visit freely. Over sixteen years and hundreds of clandestine meetings, Zhao reveals the hidden truths of Chinese politics. He exposes Deng Xiaoping's behind-the-scenes maneuvering, explains his real relationship with fellow reformer Hu Yaobang, and describes the true reasons for his downfall. The conversations range from internal party power struggles to his critiques of the Jiang Zemin and Hu Jintao administrations, from his analysis of China's drift toward crony capitalism to his hopes for democratic reform. As Zhao shares his thoughts on everything from US-China relations to Taiwan, Zong captures the mind of a leader who sacrificed everything for his principles, documenting both a personal tragedy and a pivotal moment in Chinese history.
Genres: history, 20th-century, political-science, politics, china, biography-memoir, 21st-century
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: political-intrigue, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Beijing, China
Period: 1989, 2000s
400 pages · Tankobon Softcover · 開放出版社