In 2022, Xi Jinping’s term limit for ruling China was extended beyond the usual ten years, making him the first Chinese leader since Mao to potentially remain in power indefinitely. All the while, the party’s propaganda system has rolled out a series of campaigns to promote Xi’s political agenda. These developments smack of a return to the past: pragmatism seems to have made way for ideological dogma and power concentration. In this talk, Florian Schneider will explore how we might make sense of Xi and his power, and what the implications of Xi’s role in Chinese politics might be for the People’s Republic of China and its relations with the world. Is Xi the new Mao?