Instant Alert: Xi Jinping is known as a 'princeling,' gets compared to Winnie the Pooh, and loves American movies — and now he's China's most powerful leader in decades

MANAGE SUBSCRIPTIONS   |   UNSUBSCRIBE   |   VIEW ONLINE   Xi Jinping is known as a 'princeling,' gets compared to Winnie the Pooh, and loves American movies — and now he's China's most powerful leader in decades by Ben Brimelow on Feb 28, 2018, 7:23 PM Advertisement Xi Jinping has become China's most powerful leader since Mao Zedong. He is the first leader since Mao to be alive at the time his name was written into the Chinese constitution, has overseen an almost unparalleled purge of corrupt party officials that has solidified his power, and faced opposing factions within the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) head on. While his origins are not exactly humble, Xi learned to survive and thrive in China's brutal political landscape the hard way. Xi's father was a Chinese Civil War veteran who eventually served as vice premier under Chairman Mao. The elder Xi would later be purged from the party as part of Mao's Cultural Revolution. The following years were chaotic for Xi's family; his father was relocated to a factory in central China, his sister died after years of harassment and abuse, and Xi Jinping was ripped away from his privileged upbringing and sent to the countryside as a "sent-down youth." From there, Xi managed to join the Party, and rise through its ranks until he became the General Secretary in 2012, and President in 2013. Take a look at the life and rise of Xi Jinping here: Xi Jinping was born in 1953 and was the son of Xi Zhongxun, a veteran communist who fought in the Chinese Civil War and served as a Vice Chairman for Mao after the People's Republic of China was established in 1949. Because of this, Xi enjoyed a privileged upbringing at first. In 1966, when Xi was in middle school, Mao launched the Cultural Revolution. It was a brutal time as Mao called on the people to get rid of old traditions, remnants of private ownership, and political enemies — including Xi's father — through force. With his father purged from the party, Xi's privileged upbringing was torn apart. He was forced to work in the countryside as part of Mao's Down to the Countryside Movement, which attempted to force people in cities to work in factories and farms in rural China. See the rest of the story at Business Insider   Share the latest business news with your network:    Email sent to: nguyenvu1187.love5@blogger.com   |   Manage your email preferences   |   Unsubscribe Terms of Service   |   Privacy Policy Business Insider. 150 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10011