Guilford College and Lincoln Financial Professor of Political Science George Guo’s latest book is cited extensively in a congressionally convened commission’s annual report released this week.
The influential U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, which is charged with overseeing the economic relationship between the United States and China, references research by George from his book, The Politics of the Core Leader in China (Cambridge University Press, 2019).
In the first chapter of the commission’s report, which chronicles the evolution of how decisions are made within the Chinese Communist Party, George discusses President Xi Jinping's justification of his own personal elevation as a means to strengthen the overall authority of China’s political leadership. The report notes in one of its citations from George’s book that:
“(George) Guo, professor and chair of the political science department at Guilford College, argues in his book The Politics of the Core Leader in China that having a clear paramount leader facilitates penetration of Party authority into society because the aura of unified leadership fosters greater willingness to acquiesce to Party directives.”
George says it’s been exciting to see international media from Germany, France and Taiwan reference the report. In part due to its small size, the Commission directly reports to Congress and President Biden, which puts Guilford in front of some of the nation’s most powerful leaders.
“It’s an honor to help Guilford spread its name this way,” says George. “That’s one of our jobs as faculty is to publicize our College and the work we are doing with students.”
The Commission’s annual report is responsible for providing recommendations based on its findings on bilateral trade with the People’s Republic of China. The report is based on several factors, including national security and trading risks in all industries and conducting research on China’s actions. All these findings are discussed in their hearing and submitted as an annual report or specific research topics every year.
George says any conclusions drawn by the Commission are not necessarily his recommendations. “My position is I’m a scholar, not a politician. My work is not propaganda. I don’t work for the U.S. government and I don’t work for the Chinese government. I think that’s what (the Commission) saw was my neutral, objective view.”