When Xi Jinping came to power, he consulted experts on the Soviet Union collapse and learned that the USSR's fatal mistake was allowing political reforms before economic reforms, and that allowing flourishing cultures within nationality-based republics (like Kazakhstan and Tajikistan as discrete units) made it easy for them to break away.
factualpending
Evidence Quote
“when Xiinping came to power, he convened his experts on the Soviet Union...he learned political reforms before economic reforms. That was a disaster...the Soviets had allowed flourishing cultures within all their um nationality based republics...there were these discrete units that were perfect for an independent Tajikistan and independent Kazakhstan.”
Source
Sarah C.M. Paine: What Is China's Grand Strategy?— Decoding Geopolitics Podcast with Dominik PreslCreated: 8/11/2026, 6:21:25 AM
My Notes
Loading notes...