This is CBS Eye on the World. Here's John Batchelor.

Continuing with Joseph Tarigian, the book, The Party's Interest Come First. This is a biography of Xi Zhong,

father of Xi Jinping. The reason we begin now with a novel is because it is the

most dangerous novel that ever came into the Shi family. You will recall we left father and son

in their underwear in a hot apartment smoking cigarettes.

The reason they're at that point in their lives reunion all the time is because of the disruption of the previous decade.

Xi Zhongshun was a very powerful early member of the party, joining in 26, went through the battles of the 30s and 40s.

And then, Joseph, wonderful to continue the story.

There are mysteries here, but one mystery we must deal with right away is why

the novel, Leo Gidon, it's a novel of a man's life, a man who was principal in promoting

Xi Zheng's career in their provinces. Why it matters is because the book is regarded as counter-revolutionary,

rightist deviation. And the fact that our hero, Xi Zhong Chun, permits it to be published

is the reason for his fall and breaking and torture and

brutality and not seeing his family for, what is it, seven or eight years. What is in that novel?

It's what, what makes it the ruin of their family's life? Good evening to you. John, thank you so much for having me. So it is

quite interesting, right, that someone would be purged and suffer so much because of their

support of a novel. And it's a complicated story. It's one that begins in the northwest of China.

Your listeners may have heard of the Long March.

That's when Mao Zedong and the Central Committee fled all the way across the country,

and they landed in the northwest where they found another base area.

And that base area had been created by a man named Leo Jordan.

That was the first great mentor of Xi Zhongshun, the father of Xi Jinping.

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