China | Lessons of a fall

Fear of a Soviet-style collapse keeps Xi Jinping up at night

China’s Communists have now been in power longer than the Soviets

Photograph: Getty Images

IN LATE SEPTEMBER workers erected a structure in Tiananmen Square. It is 18 metres tall, resembling a basket of fruit and flowers. Displays have sprung up across Beijing in celebration of the 75th anniversary on October 1st of the founding of Communist China. This one bulges with giant peaches and gourds—symbols of long life. But China’s leader, Xi Jinping, worries about how long-lived his party’s rule will be.

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