A New Look at Chinese Patron-Clientelism: The Falls of Hu Yaobang and Zhao Ziyang

This article focuses on three general points. First, the degree of penetration of the CCP into Chinese society means that informal, particularistic, and often corrupt political channels take precedence over legal methods of communication and influence. Secondly, this degree of penetration leads to extensive informal and personal politics, or patrimonial rulership, or patron-client networks. Thirdly, and most importantly, the political falls of key leaders Hu Yaobang and Zhao Ziyang in the 1980s were the best illustrations of Chinese patron-clientelism in the reform era. Both leaders lost their positions, not only because they failed to develop adequate support networks, but because they lost the trust and support of their patron, Deng Xiaoping. The publication abroad of Zhao’s secret memoir and The Tiananmen Papers confirm the importance of patron-clientelism at the highest levels. By contrast, the rise of Hu Jintao illustrates how careful cultivation of patrimonial ties can lead to political success in China.