# 50 years after his death, Mao still shapes China

https://mins.news/en/item/49909

- DW, 2026-09-08 14:44 UTC
- Politics
- Original: https://www.dw.com/en/50-years-after-his-death-mao-still-shapes-china/a-79189751?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf

> Mao Zedong died on September 9, 1976, leaving behind a deeply contradictory legacy. He shaped China’s narratives of revolution, nation-building and independence, while successive political campaigns and persecutions caused immense social trauma. Five decades later, Mao-era principles remain embedded in China’s political system, and some of Xi Jinping’s methods have prompted comparisons with Mao.

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