Decades ago, a Chinese village became an official symbol of revolutionary “self-reliance.” The slogan hasn’t changed, but nearly everything else has.

China’s leader draws on lessons from Lin Zexu, a Qing official whose defiance of Britain led to China’s humiliating defeat but made him a national hero.

Xi Jinping seems to believe that only his continued rule can secure China’s rise. But as he ages, choosing a successor will become riskier and more difficult.