Who will govern China after Jiang Zemin? What path will its new leaders chart in the early years of the twenty-first century? Drawing upon a wealth of both quantitative and qualitative data on the so-called fourth generation of leaders_those who were young during the Cultural Revolution_Cheng Li shows that this group is more diversified than previous generations in formative experiences, political solidarity, ideological conviction, and occupational background. The author explores the contradictions between these emerging leaders and their non-elite peers who were barred from education during the Mao era and now often are unemployed and disenchanted. The book concludes with the intriguing notion that this generation of leaders may have a better understanding of its peersO concerns and therefore may make the regime more accountable to its people, thus contributing to, rather than opposing, democratic development.

Chapter 1 Coming of Age: A New Generation of Leaders Chapter 2 The Rise of Technocrats: Elite Transformation in the Reform Era Chapter 3 The Fourth Generation of Leaders: A Biographical Analysis Chapter 4 The "Qinghua Clique": School Networks and Elite Recruitment Chapter 5 Taizi and Mishu: Informal Networks and Institutional Restraints Chapter 6 Collective Characteristics: Attitudes and Outlooks of the New Generation of Elites Chapter 7 Intra-Generational Diversity and Its Implications