Xi Jinping’s supremacy and dominance was omnipresent in the just concluded 20th party Congress as he strode like a collusus stamping his authority on chinese politics and the politburo and perhaps even surpassing Mao zedong as the most powerful leader to have emerged from China.
The easing out of Li Keqiang a known reformist from the all powerful Politburo standing committee along with three others dispelled any doubts about who was calling the shots.
According to the Wall Street Journal, “all but seven of the 281 members of the Communist party’s provincial level standing committees are Xi appointees.”
These are ominous signs for the west which was hoping and looking for some chinks in Xi Jinping’s armoury at the convention. Xi’s third term could embolden him to be more expansionist and hegemonistic as has been his tendency. Xi’s zero covid policy has already brought the Chinese economy on it’s knees and with the disruption of global supply chains to which China contributes 29% the repercussions would be felt globally.
Jinping’s uninhibited expansionist designs could spell trouble for countries like Taiwan, Japan, Philippines, Vietnam to name a few.
Bharat has tasted jinping’s hegemony in the past as during the past decade of Xi’s tenure China became more aggressive with its policy of salami slicing and the sporadic skirmishes snowballed into a full blown conflict in Galwan where the Chinese were given a bloody nose by our forces.
But this has not deterred China and it continues to raise infrastructure at the line of control and claim Bharatiya territory. The China Pakistan bonhomie is set to increase and Xi will leave no stone unturned to foment trouble in J&K using Pakistan.
Bharat will have to brace itself for increasing hostilities on our northern and western borders but our forces preparedness to meet these challenges have never been better thanks to the great infrastructure push, defence modernization and Make in India thrust.
The China Pakistan nexus is bound to go stronger as was seen in the recent Xi Shariff meeting in Beijing where they raised the Jammu & Kashmir issue drawing a quick rebuke from Bharat. China will avoid a direct conflict with Bharat but will continue to piggyback on Pakistan to infiltrate the Bharatiya borders.
The US China sabre rattling in the Tiawan strait, Bashi Channel and Miyako strait could turn into a full blown conflict should Xi choose to annex Tiawan. The US which already has its hands full on Ukraine and is grappling with an economic crisis at home will be hard pressed to defend Taiwan if it comes to a direct confrontation with the dragon.
Off late the US’ unnecessary poking in Bharat’s internal affairs where the US ambassador to Pakistan made an unnecessary visit to PoK (Pakistan occupied Kashmir) referring to it as AJ&K (Azad Jammu & Kashmir), has not helped the relationship between the two democracies and the US should realize that propping up a rogue state like Pakistan at Bharat’s expense will be detrimental for the region & bilateral relations between the two countries.
The strengthening of the Quad and its militarization to counter China should be high on the agenda of the US instead of indulging in unnecessary rant and rethoric with Bharat.
For the moment the US and its European allies who are already facing an economic downturn should brace up for a more belligerent dragon which will bare its fangs at the drop of a hat.