China’s Communist Party: Atrophy and Adaptation

On April 15, the Brookings Institution hosted Nonresident Senior Fellow David Shambaugh, professor of Political Science and International Affairs and director of The China Policy Program at George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs, for a discussion of his new book China’s Communist Party: Atrophy and Adaptation (Woodrow Wilson Press, 2008).

In China’s Communist Party: Atrophy and Adaptation, Shambaugh assesses the strengths, weaknesses, durability, adaptability and potential longevity of China’s Communist Party (CCP). He argues that although the CCP has been in a protracted period of atrophy, it has undertaken a number of adaptive measures aimed at reinventing itself and strengthening its rule. Mr. Shambaugh is an authority on contemporary Chinese affairs, U.S.-China relations and the international politics and security of the Asia-Pacific region.

Brookings Senior Fellow Jeffrey A. Bader, director of the John L. Thornton China Center, provided introductory remarks and moderated the discussion. Brookings Senior Fellow Cheng Li joined David Shambaugh in this discussion. After the program, Mr. Shambaugh took audience questions.