Cheng Li is director and senior fellow at the John L. Thornton China Center at Brookings Institution. His previous books include China's Political Development: Chinese and American Perspectives (coedited), The Road to Zhongnanhai: High-Level Leadership Groups on the Eve of the 18th Party Congress, and China's Leaders: The New Generation.

Li has produced one of the most in-depth studies of Chinese politics in recent years. Combining a comprehensive database of information about Chinese elites with exhaustive qualitative research, he maps the groups of officials who helped President Xi Jinping rise to power and whose careers have prospered under Xi."- Victor Shih, Foreign Affairs;"Li's book is arguably the most excellent, comprehensive book on Chinese politics under Xi to date. At almost 500 pages the book is not only comprehensive, but well-researched and well-written as well. It will find its way on to the syllabi of many university level courses on Chinese politics, as well as the reading lists and bookshelves of a wide variety of readers, from serious policy analysts and researchers on Chinese politics, to graduate students, to interested lay readers."- Gregory J. Moore, Journal of Chinese Political Science

Cheng Li is director and senior fellow at the John L. Thornton China Center at Brookings Institution. His previous books include China's Political Development: Chinese and American Perspectives (coedited), The Road to Zhongnanhai: High-Level Leadership Groups on the Eve of the 18th Party Congress, and China's Leaders: The New Generation.

Li has produced one of the most in-depth studies of Chinese politics in recent years. Combining a comprehensive database of information about Chinese elites with exhaustive qualitative research, he maps the groups of officials who helped President Xi Jinping rise to power and whose careers have prospered under Xi."- Victor Shih, Foreign Affairs;"Li's book is arguably the most excellent, comprehensive book on Chinese politics under Xi to date. At almost 500 pages the book is not only comprehensive, but well-researched and well-written as well. It will find its way on to the syllabi of many university level courses on Chinese politics, as well as the reading lists and bookshelves of a wide variety of readers, from serious policy analysts and researchers on Chinese politics, to graduate students, to interested lay readers."- Gregory J. Moore, Journal of Chinese Political Science