Chinese sabre-rattling over Taiwan is a very common practice, but this time it’s different, and for many reasons. I will try to pen a long article on China during the weekend, but Xi Jinping is undoubtedly emboldened by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, apart from his own success at taking complete control over Hong Kong as he turned its autonomy into a figment of what it used to be.
As the Chinese economy shows signs of weakness, especially with weak economic data that came out this week, Xi Jinping is further accumulating a legacy of economic and political mismanagement at home and in his Party. Xi may be getting increasingly out of touch with reality as the Chinese economy falters under his iron fist. Most importantly, Xi’s latest speech to his military and naval officers is very clear if we are to take him literally: he is preparing for war. Whether he actually starts one is a different story.
Thank you for also highlighting important world issues. Your in depth analyses are very insightful. Looking forward for your post on this