Joseph Torigian
@josephtorigian.bsky.social
Associate Professor at American University School of International Service. Senior Fellow @cfr.org. Studies Chinese and Russian politics and foreign policy. 唐志学
For China Book Review, Rana Mitter reviews "The Party's Interests Come First: The Life of Xi Zhongxun, Father of Xi Jinping"
chinabooksreview.com/2025/11/13/x...
chinabooksreview.com/2025/11/13/x...
Sins of the Father | China Books Review
Xi Zhongxun, one of China’s early communist revolutionaries, tried to balance reformist instincts with loyalty to the Party. His failure left an indelible mark on his son, Xi Jinping.
chinabooksreview.com
November 13, 2025 at 4:07 PM
For China Book Review, Rana Mitter reviews "The Party's Interests Come First: The Life of Xi Zhongxun, Father of Xi Jinping"
chinabooksreview.com/2025/11/13/x...
chinabooksreview.com/2025/11/13/x...
Reposted by Joseph Torigian
Civil-military relations again rears its head as a key variable in the generation of authoritarian military power...
Good quotes from @josephtorigian.bsky.social here
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/12/w...
Good quotes from @josephtorigian.bsky.social here
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/12/w...
Xi’s Military Purges Show Unease About China’s Nuclear Forces
www.nytimes.com
November 12, 2025 at 1:46 PM
Civil-military relations again rears its head as a key variable in the generation of authoritarian military power...
Good quotes from @josephtorigian.bsky.social here
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/12/w...
Good quotes from @josephtorigian.bsky.social here
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/12/w...
Over the next week, I'll be giving four book talks on "The Party's Interests Come First: The Life of Xi Zhongxun, Father of Xi Jinping" in Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia (thread).
On Thursday November 13, I'll give a talk at SWPS University in Warsaw
english.swps.pl/we-the-unive...
On Thursday November 13, I'll give a talk at SWPS University in Warsaw
english.swps.pl/we-the-unive...
Chinese Political Elites: Meeting with Joseph Torigian
Join us at SWPS Unniversity in Warsaw for a discussion with Joseph Torigian from American University, in Washington, D.C. focusing on his new book, The Party’s Interests Come First. The Life of Xi Zho...
english.swps.pl
November 12, 2025 at 11:58 AM
Over the next week, I'll be giving four book talks on "The Party's Interests Come First: The Life of Xi Zhongxun, Father of Xi Jinping" in Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia (thread).
On Thursday November 13, I'll give a talk at SWPS University in Warsaw
english.swps.pl/we-the-unive...
On Thursday November 13, I'll give a talk at SWPS University in Warsaw
english.swps.pl/we-the-unive...
For this @nytimes.com @dhpierson.bsky.social article, Jon Czin and I share some thoughts about the ongoing purges in the People's Liberation Army
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/12/w...
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/12/w...
November 12, 2025 at 11:25 AM
For this @nytimes.com @dhpierson.bsky.social article, Jon Czin and I share some thoughts about the ongoing purges in the People's Liberation Army
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/12/w...
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/12/w...
Reposted by Joseph Torigian
We are very honored to host @iandenisjohnson.bsky.social and @josephtorigian.bsky.social for a discussion with @helenalegarda.bsky.social and Bernhard Bartsch on “Why China’s past matters: Understanding Xi Jinping and the CCP’s tight grip on history”.
November 10, 2025 at 5:52 PM
We are very honored to host @iandenisjohnson.bsky.social and @josephtorigian.bsky.social for a discussion with @helenalegarda.bsky.social and Bernhard Bartsch on “Why China’s past matters: Understanding Xi Jinping and the CCP’s tight grip on history”.
Reposted by Joseph Torigian
Great cover! I’m really delighted to be a part of this, much thanks to @mmuscolino.bsky.social
Our forthcoming volume on the environmental history of China's era of high socialism has a cover.
Paul Pickowicz, who took the photo when he visited China in 1971 as part of a Committee of Concerned Asian Scholars delegation, also contributed the book's epilogue.
Paul Pickowicz, who took the photo when he visited China in 1971 as part of a Committee of Concerned Asian Scholars delegation, also contributed the book's epilogue.
November 7, 2025 at 5:20 AM
Great cover! I’m really delighted to be a part of this, much thanks to @mmuscolino.bsky.social
Orville Schell also did a podcast on this publication that was just released:
www.foreignaffairs.com/podcasts/xi-...
www.foreignaffairs.com/podcasts/xi-...
November 7, 2025 at 9:27 AM
Orville Schell also did a podcast on this publication that was just released:
www.foreignaffairs.com/podcasts/xi-...
www.foreignaffairs.com/podcasts/xi-...
Shared some thoughts with @bloomberg.com @karishmajourno.bsky.social for this very interesting piece on Xi’s diplomacy
www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
November 5, 2025 at 8:45 AM
Shared some thoughts with @bloomberg.com @karishmajourno.bsky.social for this very interesting piece on Xi’s diplomacy
www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
Reposted by Joseph Torigian
Berlin friends: Highly recommend Joseph’s groundbreaking research on Xi sr.!👇
This week and next, I'll be giving a handful of talks in Berlin (thread).
On Wednesday November 5 at 4 pm, I'll give a book talk on The Party's Interests Come First: The Life of Xi Zhongxun, Father of Xi Jinping at Humboldt University.
www.geschichte.hu-berlin.de/de/bereiche-...
On Wednesday November 5 at 4 pm, I'll give a book talk on The Party's Interests Come First: The Life of Xi Zhongxun, Father of Xi Jinping at Humboldt University.
www.geschichte.hu-berlin.de/de/bereiche-...
Colloquium zur Geschichte Osteuropas im Wintersemester 2025/26
www.geschichte.hu-berlin.de
November 3, 2025 at 9:17 AM
Berlin friends: Highly recommend Joseph’s groundbreaking research on Xi sr.!👇
This week and next, I'll be giving a handful of talks in Berlin (thread).
On Wednesday November 5 at 4 pm, I'll give a book talk on The Party's Interests Come First: The Life of Xi Zhongxun, Father of Xi Jinping at Humboldt University.
www.geschichte.hu-berlin.de/de/bereiche-...
On Wednesday November 5 at 4 pm, I'll give a book talk on The Party's Interests Come First: The Life of Xi Zhongxun, Father of Xi Jinping at Humboldt University.
www.geschichte.hu-berlin.de/de/bereiche-...
Colloquium zur Geschichte Osteuropas im Wintersemester 2025/26
www.geschichte.hu-berlin.de
November 3, 2025 at 7:27 AM
This week and next, I'll be giving a handful of talks in Berlin (thread).
On Wednesday November 5 at 4 pm, I'll give a book talk on The Party's Interests Come First: The Life of Xi Zhongxun, Father of Xi Jinping at Humboldt University.
www.geschichte.hu-berlin.de/de/bereiche-...
On Wednesday November 5 at 4 pm, I'll give a book talk on The Party's Interests Come First: The Life of Xi Zhongxun, Father of Xi Jinping at Humboldt University.
www.geschichte.hu-berlin.de/de/bereiche-...
In Vienna? On November 3 at 3 pm I'll present my book The Party's Interests Come First: The Life of Xi Zhongxun, Father of Xi Jinping at the University of Vienna.
www.recet.at/event-news/e...
www.recet.at/event-news/e...
The Party's Interests Come First: The Life of Xi Zhongxun, Father of Xi Jinping
China's leader, Xi Jinping, is one of the most powerful individuals in the world—and one of the least understood. Much can be learned, however, about both Xi Jinping and the nature of the party he lea...
www.recet.at
November 1, 2025 at 8:24 AM
In Vienna? On November 3 at 3 pm I'll present my book The Party's Interests Come First: The Life of Xi Zhongxun, Father of Xi Jinping at the University of Vienna.
www.recet.at/event-news/e...
www.recet.at/event-news/e...
For @thetls.bsky.social , @katiestallard.bsky.social reviews new books on China by David Shambaugh, Dan Wang, Ben Vagle and Stephen Brooks, and me
www.the-tls.com/politics-by-...
www.the-tls.com/politics-by-...
November 1, 2025 at 7:50 AM
For @thetls.bsky.social , @katiestallard.bsky.social reviews new books on China by David Shambaugh, Dan Wang, Ben Vagle and Stephen Brooks, and me
www.the-tls.com/politics-by-...
www.the-tls.com/politics-by-...
For Financial Times, Edward White writes about China's "red tourism" boom. Xi Jinping sees party history as a crucial element of a moral education system that inoculates young people against dangerous values.
www.ft.com/content/7d01...
www.ft.com/content/7d01...
November 1, 2025 at 7:48 AM
For Financial Times, Edward White writes about China's "red tourism" boom. Xi Jinping sees party history as a crucial element of a moral education system that inoculates young people against dangerous values.
www.ft.com/content/7d01...
www.ft.com/content/7d01...
A new piece by @washingtonpost.com David Ignatius on the similarities and differences between Xi Jinping and Donald Trump, with a thought from me on Xi.
www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...
www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...
October 30, 2025 at 3:27 PM
A new piece by @washingtonpost.com David Ignatius on the similarities and differences between Xi Jinping and Donald Trump, with a thought from me on Xi.
www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...
www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...
New podcast: @lowyinstitute.bsky.social Richard McGregor and I chat about the Xi family and the future of China
podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/h...
podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/h...
His Father’s Son: The Xi family and the Future of China.
Podcast Episode · Lowy Institute · 24/10/2025 · 30m
podcasts.apple.com
October 27, 2025 at 7:33 AM
New podcast: @lowyinstitute.bsky.social Richard McGregor and I chat about the Xi family and the future of China
podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/h...
podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/h...
Reposted by Joseph Torigian
This is an amazing paragraph from @josephtorigian.bsky.social ‘s biography of Xi Zhongxun: “The Party’s Interests Come First”. I want to know more about Puyi and Xi’s social interactions. One wonders exactly what they talked about. (Zhou here is Zhou Enlai).
October 26, 2025 at 3:58 PM
This is an amazing paragraph from @josephtorigian.bsky.social ‘s biography of Xi Zhongxun: “The Party’s Interests Come First”. I want to know more about Puyi and Xi’s social interactions. One wonders exactly what they talked about. (Zhou here is Zhou Enlai).
Reposted by Joseph Torigian
Immersed in @josephtorigian.bsky.social 's always fascinating THE PARTY'S INTERESTS COME FIRST. It's exactly the kind of work that deepens and enriches my engagement w China: whose realities lie in the details of loyalty to Party, exercise of power, and not-always-scrupulous attention to morality.
October 25, 2025 at 8:40 PM
Immersed in @josephtorigian.bsky.social 's always fascinating THE PARTY'S INTERESTS COME FIRST. It's exactly the kind of work that deepens and enriches my engagement w China: whose realities lie in the details of loyalty to Party, exercise of power, and not-always-scrupulous attention to morality.
If you’re in Italy, I’ll be doing three presentations there next week.
On Monday October 27, I’ll do a book talk on The Party’s Interests Come First: the Life of Xi Zhongxun, Father of Xi Jinping in Milan at Universita Cattolica del Sacro Cuore
aseri.unicatt.it/aseri-2025-t...
On Monday October 27, I’ll do a book talk on The Party’s Interests Come First: the Life of Xi Zhongxun, Father of Xi Jinping in Milan at Universita Cattolica del Sacro Cuore
aseri.unicatt.it/aseri-2025-t...
The Party's Interests Come First | Graduate School ASERI
aseri.unicatt.it
October 24, 2025 at 3:37 PM
If you’re in Italy, I’ll be doing three presentations there next week.
On Monday October 27, I’ll do a book talk on The Party’s Interests Come First: the Life of Xi Zhongxun, Father of Xi Jinping in Milan at Universita Cattolica del Sacro Cuore
aseri.unicatt.it/aseri-2025-t...
On Monday October 27, I’ll do a book talk on The Party’s Interests Come First: the Life of Xi Zhongxun, Father of Xi Jinping in Milan at Universita Cattolica del Sacro Cuore
aseri.unicatt.it/aseri-2025-t...
Thank you Neue Zürcher Zeitung for running an interview with me about the 4th plenum and my research on Chinese politics
www.nzz.ch/internationa...
www.nzz.ch/internationa...
Wer wird Xi Jinpings Nachfolger? Ein Experte erklärt, warum die Frage so heikel ist
Xi Jinping hat die Macht in China so stark auf sich konzentriert wie keiner seit Mao. Joseph Torigian ist Experte für autoritäre Systeme. Er erklärt, was Xi antreibt, weshalb er seine Nachfolge fürcht...
www.nzz.ch
October 23, 2025 at 3:24 PM
Thank you Neue Zürcher Zeitung for running an interview with me about the 4th plenum and my research on Chinese politics
www.nzz.ch/internationa...
www.nzz.ch/internationa...
Reposted by Joseph Torigian
In a review of “The Party’s Interests Come First” by Joseph Torigian, Orville Schell discusses how both Xi Jinping and his father, Xi Zhongxun, were “shaped by revolutionary hardship and struggle.”
The Miseducation of Xi Jinping
How a father’s struggle revealed the price of power.
www.foreignaffairs.com
October 21, 2025 at 8:59 PM
In a review of “The Party’s Interests Come First” by Joseph Torigian, Orville Schell discusses how both Xi Jinping and his father, Xi Zhongxun, were “shaped by revolutionary hardship and struggle.”
Reposted by Joseph Torigian
Grandir pendant la Révolution culturelle, c’est apprendre la violence.
Enfant, Xi se battait avec des ceintures et subissait des humiliations — parfois par sa mère.
@josephtorigian.bsky.social raconte une histoire de famille essentielle pour comprendre la Chine.
legrandcontinent.eu/fr/2025/10/1...
Enfant, Xi se battait avec des ceintures et subissait des humiliations — parfois par sa mère.
@josephtorigian.bsky.social raconte une histoire de famille essentielle pour comprendre la Chine.
legrandcontinent.eu/fr/2025/10/1...
Xi Jinping : une histoire vraie | Le Grand Continent
Grandir pendant la Révolution culturelle chinoise est un apprentissage de la violence. Enfant, Xi Jinping se battait avec des ceintures militaires et se faisait régulièrement humilier. Y compris par ...
legrandcontinent.eu
October 20, 2025 at 12:01 PM
Grandir pendant la Révolution culturelle, c’est apprendre la violence.
Enfant, Xi se battait avec des ceintures et subissait des humiliations — parfois par sa mère.
@josephtorigian.bsky.social raconte une histoire de famille essentielle pour comprendre la Chine.
legrandcontinent.eu/fr/2025/10/1...
Enfant, Xi se battait avec des ceintures et subissait des humiliations — parfois par sa mère.
@josephtorigian.bsky.social raconte une histoire de famille essentielle pour comprendre la Chine.
legrandcontinent.eu/fr/2025/10/1...
I've seen a little imprecision about the place and time of Deng Xiaoping's remarks about rare earths. I believe he referred to them in Shanghai on February 6, 1991 (not in Inner Mongolia and not during Southern Tour). He was inspecting Shanghai Volkswagen. His exact words were:
October 20, 2025 at 10:26 AM
I've seen a little imprecision about the place and time of Deng Xiaoping's remarks about rare earths. I believe he referred to them in Shanghai on February 6, 1991 (not in Inner Mongolia and not during Southern Tour). He was inspecting Shanghai Volkswagen. His exact words were:
Huge thanks to @asiasociety.org Orville Schell and @foreignaffairs.com for this long and wonderful new review of my book The Party's Interests Come First: The Life of Xi Zhongxun, Father of Xi Jinping
www.foreignaffairs.com/reviews/mise...
www.foreignaffairs.com/reviews/mise...
The Miseducation of Xi Jinping
How a father’s struggle revealed the price of power.
www.foreignaffairs.com
October 20, 2025 at 9:56 AM
Huge thanks to @asiasociety.org Orville Schell and @foreignaffairs.com for this long and wonderful new review of my book The Party's Interests Come First: The Life of Xi Zhongxun, Father of Xi Jinping
www.foreignaffairs.com/reviews/mise...
www.foreignaffairs.com/reviews/mise...
Thanks @grandcontinent.bsky.social for running this excerpt of my book on Xi Zhongxun, father of Xi Jinping, on the eve of the 4th plenum (in French)
legrandcontinent.eu/fr/2025/10/1...
legrandcontinent.eu/fr/2025/10/1...
Xi Jinping : une histoire vraie | Le Grand Continent
Grandir pendant la Révolution culturelle chinoise est un apprentissage de la violence. Enfant, Xi Jinping se battait avec des ceintures militaires et se faisait régulièrement humilier. Y compris par ...
legrandcontinent.eu
October 19, 2025 at 7:26 PM
Thanks @grandcontinent.bsky.social for running this excerpt of my book on Xi Zhongxun, father of Xi Jinping, on the eve of the 4th plenum (in French)
legrandcontinent.eu/fr/2025/10/1...
legrandcontinent.eu/fr/2025/10/1...
If you're in Switzerland I'll be giving three book talks on The Party's Interests Come First: The Life of Xi Zhongxun, Father of Xi Jinping this week.
On October 20, the University of Basel will host me at 6:15 pm.
europa.unibas.ch/de/aktuelles...
On October 20, the University of Basel will host me at 6:15 pm.
europa.unibas.ch/de/aktuelles...
Joseph Torigian (Stanford University): “The Party's Interests Come First: The Life of Xi Zhongxun, Father of Xi Jinping”
Talk and discussion with Joseph Torigian, Associate Professor at the School of International Service at American University and a Research Fellow at the Hoover History Lab at Stanford University.
europa.unibas.ch
October 19, 2025 at 7:20 PM
If you're in Switzerland I'll be giving three book talks on The Party's Interests Come First: The Life of Xi Zhongxun, Father of Xi Jinping this week.
On October 20, the University of Basel will host me at 6:15 pm.
europa.unibas.ch/de/aktuelles...
On October 20, the University of Basel will host me at 6:15 pm.
europa.unibas.ch/de/aktuelles...