Introduction

The 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) held in 2017 has been vital in post-Mao China. It was instrumental in further establishing Xi Jinping’s authority both within the party and in Chinese politics, with an amendment to the party Constitution enshrining Xi’s political thought. It set the tone for a 2018 constitutional change in the annual sitting of the National People’s Congress that removed the two-term limit for presidents, allowing Xi to remain in power for life. Xi’s “strongman” image was consolidated with his crackdown on corruption, Beijing’s foreign policy, ambitious global projects, his aspirations to fulfil the “Chinese Dream” and China’s increasingly incorporated role in the world both politically and economically. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has emerged as a worthy adversary to the ‘Peking Model’ of governance espoused by Xi. China is set to face major challenges in a post-COVID world order. In the Introduction, emphasis is given to China’s economic clout and foreign policy dynamics in an attempt to understand how Xi Jinping will manoeuvre China and China’s image in the world post the pandemic.