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155 shell bodies sit on a pallet at General Dynamics ready to be shipped on August 20, 2025, in Scranton, Pennsylvania. (Getty Images)
The unprecedented anti-corruption campaign launched by Communist Party Chief Xi Jinping in late 2012 shows, among other things, that a kleptocracy has taken root inside the Chinese state and economy. While the campaign has provided more detailed information on the scope and depth of corruption in China, the origins and characteristics of this new type of kleptocracy remain poorly understood.
Using data collected from more than 100 corruption cases involving multiple party and government officials, Minxin Pei argues this kleptocracy originated two decades ago when elites in the Chinese party-state, private businesses, and organized crime colluded to loot state-owned assets. The effects of such looting and collusion go beyond the illicit enrichment of a small number of elites. Pei contends that they are the underlying forces causing the decay of key institutions in the Chinese party-state.
On November 21st, Hudson Kleptocracy Initiative (KI) hosted a discussion moderated by KI Executive Director Charles Davidson on the sources and implications of China’s kleptocracy.
Related Events
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Virtual Event | Hudson Institute
A US Navy Fleet for Twenty-First-Century Deterrence and Combat
Featured Speaker:
Bryan Clark
11
November 2026
Virtual Event | Hudson Institute
A US Navy Fleet for Twenty-First-Century Deterrence and Combat
Join Senior Fellow Bryan Clark for a presentation of his new report, Righting the Ship: Building a Relevant US Navy Fleet for Twenty-First-Century Deterrence and Combat. He will discuss the challenges facing the US Navy and how a new fleet design could help it address its missions within likely future budget and personnel constraints. The webinar will also include time for questions and answers.
Featured Speaker:
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12
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In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
From Dependence to Resilience: Financing a Secure Pharmaceutical Supply Chain
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12
November 2026
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
From Dependence to Resilience: Financing a Secure Pharmaceutical Supply Chain
Join DFC Chief Policy Officer Caroline Vik and Amneal Pharmaceuticals Senior Vice President Maryll Toufanian for a conversation moderated by Senior Fellow Nick Snyder. The discussion will examine America’s strategy to secure pharmaceutical supply chains and the work ahead for policymakers and industry as they pursue sustainable solutions in a complex market and policy environment.
Featured Speakers:
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13
November 2026
In-Person Event | Invite Only
The Future of US-Japan Cooperation in a Competitive World: Economic Security and Strategy
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13
November 2026
In-Person Event | Invite Only
The Future of US-Japan Cooperation in a Competitive World: Economic Security and Strategy
Join Japan Bank for International Cooperation Senior Managing Director Hiroyuki Nakashima and Senior Fellow Nick Snyder for a conversation on the state of the US-Japan relationship, the links between economic cooperation and national security, and the opportunities and challenges ahead for the alliance.
Featured Speakers:
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13
November 2026
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
Putting Veterans First: A Conversation with Secretary of Veterans Affairs Doug Collins
Featured Speakers:
Doug Collins
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13
November 2026
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
Putting Veterans First: A Conversation with Secretary of Veterans Affairs Doug Collins
Two days after Veterans Day, United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs Douglas Collins will deliver a keynote address on the Department of Veterans Affairs’ work and his plans under President Donald Trump. He will also join Hudson Institute fellow Jeremy Hunt for a fireside chat.
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Doug Collins
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Related Research
Caption
A one Euro coin is seen on August 31, 2026, in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, in front of the city’s banking district skyline. (Getty Images)
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British Chancellor of the Exchequer John Healey leaves 11 Downing Street carrying the traditional red budget box ahead of presenting the Labour government's 2026 Autumn Budget to the House of Commons in London, United Kingdom, on October 28, 2026. (Getty Images)
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Construction of the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Arizona semiconductor manufacturing complex in Phoenix, Arizona, on February 1, 2026. (Getty Images)
