Rumblings are emanating from China against President Xi Jinping, who was placed on same pedestal as Mao Zedong by the Communist Party of China (CPC) recently. Though technically Xi is not “President for Life,” very systematically he has accumulated total power unto himself, eliminating dissenters and emplacing loyalists.
Dissent against Xi is emerging. One professor accused Xi of reversing years of reforms, in effect returning China to an era of totalitarian politics and a style of dictatorship last seen under Mao. Others blame the US-China trade war on Xi’s failure at implementing reforms, and urge him to stop spending money abroad on projects like the Belt and Road initiative (BRI), spending it instead in China.
There are rumors of rifts within the CPC. Somehow Chinese media appear to be giving more prominence to Premier Li Keqiang than to Xi.
Interestingly, visiting Lhasa recently, Li affirmed the Jokhang Monastery model for Tibetan-Chinese unity without noticing the inscription on the “friendship pillar” at that temple:
“Tibet and China shall abide by the frontiers of which they are now in occupation. All to the east is the country of Great China; and all to the west is, without question, the country of Great Tibet. Henceforth on neither side shall there be waging of war nor seizing of territory. If any person incurs suspicion, he shall be arrested.… Tibetans shall be happy in the land of Tibet, and Chinese in the land of China. Even the frontier guards shall have no anxiety, nor fear.”
China acts ruthlessly against dissent. Anyone speaking against Xi can be arrested, anyone disfiguring a poster of Xi can “go missing” or a controversial artist can have his studio demolished.
Noteworthy is the manner in which China has crushed Uyghur dissent in Xinjiang (a mere 1.5% of the Chinese population). It is amazing that despite Xi reintroducing virtual ethnic cleansing, there is no protest by Islamists is Pakistan, Saudi Arabia or Turkey, and not even by ISIS and al-Qaeda – the self-proclaimed champions of global jihad.
Xi’s headaches include China’s slowing economy, what seems like a protracted trade war with the US, rising external debt, hiccups in the BRI and countries getting wise to the Chinese “debt trap”. But the rising dissent that Xi faces this time is different, with the trade war at its center, which could lead to protests and a rise in unemployment. Xi’s hardline policies appear to be building dissent among intellectuals, liberal-minded former officials and the middle class.
Xi doesn’t appear to be threatened immediately, but which way the trade war will go is unpredictable. Despite the slowdown in the economy, Xi is unlikely to scale down foreign investments, the BRI and the Maritime Silk Roads, all part of Xi’s “China Dream” that he wants to realize at the earliest. The cumulative effect could be more dissent in China, fueled by intellectuals, educated jobless, the middle class and maybe even within the CPC. If so, Xi may look for diversion to rally the public in the name of nationalism.
If the trade war persists, Xi could go for devaluating the yuan, provided it hurts the US more and affects China minimally, even as it adversely affects regional economies such as India.
Whether Xi would like to further tensions with Taiwan is questionable, but the South China Sea has possibilities for more tension. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ Code of Conduct for Unplanned Encounters (CUES) doesn’t cover civilian coast guards, keeping open the possibility of confrontation involving coast guards and fishing militia. China could flex its muscles on an individual basis, say with a country like Vietnam whose evolving maritime strategy is not to China’s liking.
Xi could also strike India despite his summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Wuhan, as long as Chinese access to Indian markets continues. The People’s Liberation Army has consolidated in the Doklam Plateau of Bhutan despite Indian denials. China made 30 trangressions into India territory in May. In June, 50 PLA troops transgressed 2 kilometers into India territory in Sikkim resulting in a standoff, denied by the Indian government perhaps for political reasons but confirmed by other sources.
Defense allocations under the Modi government have been abysmally low. The last report by the Indian Parliament’s Standing Committee on Defense lambasted the government for the pathetic state of the Armed Forces, which ironically was publicly scoffed at by Defense Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. Now the Estimates Committee of Parliament chaired by a Bharatiya Janata Party member of Parliament and with 16 BJP members has stated that for the past four years the Modi government has brought defense preparedness down to the level of 1962 when India was dealt a crushing defeat by China, “compromising safety and security of the country.”
The government has also done little to improve border infrastructure, particularly in Arunachal Pradesh, claimed by China as “Lower Tibet.”
India will remain a rival to Xi’s aim of a China-led Asia, translating into constricting India’s strategic space and keeping its economy in check. If Modi is improving the economy, what better than to dethrone him in coming elections? But the Chinese media lauding Modi’s economic policies could be a ploy to promote complacency, and we may be in for strategic shock before the general elections scheduled for April next year.
Roy Anurag, your language shows that you run a brothel, and you have a lot of experience of selling out the chastity of your sisters and your whore mother. Unfortunately this is not a forum for brothel runners like you. You simply tell us the address of your prostitute sister and mother in India , we will not hesitate to warm the bed of all of your prostitutes.
Syed Abbas by your sheer hate you can not defeat india.jalne wake khud jaljate heun.
Syed Abbas : Mature Face and Immaculate English cannot Hide your battered emotions and unfulfilled aspirations for your nation Pakistan and unfortunate vilification of Islam. I understand at this age and stage, with an idle mind and a free and open platform to express your volcanic anguish, I suggest the time apt to find some solace in relgion. I sincerely hope you find peace!! Amen!!
Syed Abbas if India is no.1 country for open defecation, then Pakistan is no 2 in open defecation cases as per data in world
Syed Abbas qabar mein paanv latke hain per aadat se majboor budhao sudhar jao. Upar jakar kya jawaab doge?
Roy Anurag their leaders proclaimed that USA.used them as toilet paper and discardedthem after their need we over.well they are still wiping asses only now under a new master.this Abbas is just another jihadi hiding under a lot of mumbo jumbo that he thinks makes him look scholarly. He is an ISI mole put here to spread disinformation and bigotry and maybe the chinks pay him as well to make them look like saviours
Syed Abbas Muslims were camel herders who came to India to loot it’s riches.they had never seen the kind of wealth that was In India. Most were looters but some decided to stick around.the jihadi history taught in pakistan is a load of bullshit that helps to prepare radicalized cannon fodder for terror acts in India.even Bangladesh that became independent in 1971 is doing much better than the jihadi snakepit called pakistan whose "scholars" like sayyad Abbas spend their time heaping abuses I India which shows their frustration and evil intent which is a part of their treacherous DNA.
Syed Abbas you are soon catching up your newly appoints PM has accepted that Pakistan is right there up the shit creek but delusional jihadis like you with inbred religious bigotry seem to close your eyes to reality singing songs of a godless nation that enjoys crushing fellow Muslims whose saviour the tinpot nation claims to be. Shameless pathetic and hate filled pakis can never be trusted.
Since when did China appoint you as their spokesperson? Begani shaadi mein Abdullah deewana?
Syed Abbas
In 1947, wasn’t India still under British colonialism or was just freed from it?
…This article literally had nothing to say. Just a summarized repeat of western propaganda about China. Thanks for nothing.
Syed Abbas At least we got gold medel in open defecation .. but Pakistan got gold medel in giving blow-job to almost every single super power in the world and taking their aid money as beggars… LOL … bloody beggars.
Sam Genokapi
1972 was over 40 years ago. The reason was the America was Pakistan’s friend, so we lost.
Today, the tables are turned. America is India’s friend. Do not pick up a fight as you will have an India broken in 2, Lol.
There’s no harm in daydreaming, general. You copy-pasted an article recently appeared in the same magazine (Asia Times) a few days ago, the same article has been doing the rounds in many western tabloids and sponsored publications as well.
Pakistan taking care of India. See what happened in 1972 or your forgot. You cannot even take care of your own country.
Richard Truong
Indians forget that they were "Great" only under the Muslims’ 1000 year rule.
India’s greatness was over with Gupta, Maurya. Then for 1000 years India languished in poverty until Muslims came and raised its output equal to China’s, 1/3 of the world.
But then Hindus betrayed the Muslims and helped the English who reduced India to current poverty 0 2% of world wealth.
In 1947 India was far ahead of Pakistan, China, Korea, Indonesia in industrial output (because of investment came to in in 1914-45 when Europe was at war). But Hindus wasted the past 70 years in conflict with Pakistan and oppressing Kashmiris while Asia developed.
Now BRI links Asia with Europe and Africa, but India goes to bed with dying USA. Unless Muslims regain India or it come under China, she will remain poor and backward.
Syed Abbas
Agreed with you on India should not keep putting itself up against China. It’s not doing India any good. Maybe jealousy is doing its trick.
Carlos De Souza
True. Neither China nor Pakistan can compete with India on open defecation. Well done India for the gold medal on that.
Ironically, the present Pope is nothing but a thief 🙂 China covets Indian territory and will try to snatch it away using stealth and deceit. And, finally, just as India cannot take on China militarily, China cannot take on the US (far from dying) and Pakistan is no match for India. Like it or lump it.
You do not comare a Pope with a thief.
Impoverished India should stop seeing China as a rival and competitor. China with a 4 times larger economy does not have 150 million "middle class" milking 1,000 million destitutes who defecate like animals in the open.
China has delegated Pakistan to take care of India while she locks horns with dying USA.