I didn't realize it was one of the co-authors of _2034_, that's pretty cool. > Fourth, as the old saw goes, “all politics are local,” and Xi has a very delicat

I didn't realize it was one of the co-authors of _2034_, that's pretty cool. > Fourth, as the old saw goes, “all politics are local,” and Xi has a very delicate political situation before him. At the 20th Communist Party Congress late in the fall, he will almost certainly be given a third five-year term. It is a remarkable achievement, vaulting him into the company of Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping. He does not want a major conflict with the US to interfere with this anointment, and even after he fully consolidates control it seems unlikely he would quickly manufacture a crisis that could crater the global economy. Yeah I'd guess a person in that position would be doing just about anything to keep the ship steady. I also really do not understand zero-COVID unless it's all been about party members pleasing him, as opposed to him pleasing others. Which would make sense.