I think people ascribe motive to a lot of Chinese behavior, where it's probably more an issue of perspective. In China, as near as I can tell, 2-3 generations

I think people ascribe motive to a lot of Chinese behavior, where it's probably more an issue of perspective. In China, as near as I can tell, 2-3 generations have been raised with the understanding that truth is always subordinate to the goals of the CCP. In fact, if not in abstract. That's one thing, internal to a country. That's very different when you're talking international diplomacy. And yet it seems like China follows this exact playbook in that arena too. It has to make for some awkward conversations when a diplomat is swearing (and believing, inasmuch as doublethink is possible) that the fleet numbers X, when another country is providing literal evidence that it's 5X.