Is Xi Jinping becoming as authoritarian as Vladimir Putin?

Context

Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin lead the world's two largest authoritarian states, each consolidating power through different mechanisms: Putin through security apparatus dominance and electoral manipulation, Xi through Communist Party control and technological surveillance. The comparison reflects growing Western concern about authoritarian governance models and their global influence, particularly as Russia and China deepen strategic alignment. This debate matters because these regimes' internal governance shapes their foreign policy ambitions and their appeal as alternative models to liberal democracy.