The Party’s Interests Come First: The Life of Xi Zhongxun, Father of Xi Jinping

Book Presentation and Discussion with Dr. Joseph Torigian, Stanford University

Joseph Torigian, author of the recently published, widely acclaimed biography of Xi Jinping’s father, Xi Zhongxun, will present his book and engage in a discussion with the audience.

The book has been praised not only for its coverage of party history and the life of Xi Zhongxun, but also for its exploration of “the politically explosive nature of competing versions of the past” (Tyler Cowen).

This evening with the author offers a unique opportunity to explore an obscure aspect of Xi Jinping’s biography — a highly sensitive topic for the Chinese party state — and to gain a better understanding of the ongoing constraints and parameters of current Chinese politics.

Dr. Joseph Torigian is an associate professor at the School of International Service at American University and a research fellow at the Hoover History Lab at Stanford University.

The discussion will be moderated by Prof. Dr. Ralph Weber, a professor of European global studies at the Institute for European Global Studies. He specializes in political theory, Chinese politics, and modern Confucianism.