Sue-Lin Wong is a China correspondent at The Economist. Previously, she reported on China for the Financial Times and Reuters. She is now based in Singapore and is transitioning to cover Southeast Asia, after she was forced to leave Hong Kong in 2021 when her visa was not renewed. She recently released a podcast series, The Prince, about the life of Xi Jinping. In this lightly edited interview, we spoke about making the series, what we know about Xi’s motivations and personality, and how his childhood trauma shapes him today.
Sue-Lin Wong.Illustration by Kate Copeland
Q: Why is it important to understand Xi’s own story?
A: Over the past ten years, Xi Jinping has gathered enormous personal power. He, along with many Chinese officials, would argue he needs it to turn China into a superpower. But the catch is that the future of China’s 1.4 billion people — and many more people around the world — hinges on the mind of this one man. So it’s important to try to und
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