China’s Xi, Preaching Openness Abroad, Clamps Down at Home

As Chinese President Xi Jinping preached “openness” and “economic liberalization” to global elites in Davos this week, his government was warning against “false Western ideas” at home.

Xi’s speech at the World Economic Forum came days after the country’s top judge ordered the courts to “boldly whip out the sword” against judicial independence and constitutional democracy. The ruling Communist Party, meanwhile, issued a directive ordering five ministries to put political loyalty first when selecting senior officials and it decided to revise textbooks to bolster “patriotic education.”