So like, Joseph Torigian talks about Xi Jinping’s dad, Xi Zhongxun, and how his whole deal shapes Xi Jinping’s views now. Torigian’s new book, The Party’s Interests Come First: The Life of Xi Zhongxun, Father of Xi Jinping, looks at how Xi Zhongxun was all revolutionary and a big shot in the Chinese Communist Party back in the day. This book, supposed to come out in June, is gonna be the first one in English about Xi Zhongxun.
Torigian, who is a prof at American University and does research at Stanford University, studies those countries with the big boss types, looking at power struggles, military stuff, and big strategies. He’s all about how those leaders keep themselves safe from trouble at home and overseas.
ChinaFile’s Jeremy Goldkorn had a chat with Torigian on March 6, 2025.
They talked about all sorts of things, like Xi Jinping’s dad being a big deal in the Party and how that affects Xi Jinping now. Torigian’s book is gonna give us all the deets on Xi Zhongxun’s life and how he ended up where he was. Goldkorn chatted with Torigian to get the scoop on what’s in the book and why it’s important.
Not really sure why this matters, but Torigian’s book is the first one in English to talk about Xi Zhongxun, so that’s kind of cool, I guess. Goldkorn asked Torigian all about his research and what he found out about Xi Jinping’s dad. Torigian gave him the lowdown on Xi Zhongxun’s role in the Party and how it all ties into Xi Jinping’s leadership style now.
Overall, it seems like Torigian’s book is gonna be a pretty big deal in understanding how Xi Jinping came to be the big shot he is today. Maybe it’s just me, but I feel like knowing more about Xi Jinping’s dad could help us understand where Xi Jinping is coming from in his decisions as a leader.
Goldkorn and Torigian had a good chat about all this stuff, and it seems like Torigian’s book is gonna shed some light on a pretty important part of Xi Jinping’s background. Can’t wait to check it out when it comes out in June.
