A MAJOR confrontation is looming in China. Two weeks ago, the country was hit by a surge of 10 explosions. Some say that the attacks were caused by terrorists, but other commentators believe that the explosions were politically motivated. I happen to agree with the latter.
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is about to have their 20th National Congress soon, its highest level general meeting, and this one could decide not only the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) leader in the next few years but its trajectory as a ruling polity. Right now, there are rumors that there is a hidden civil war occurring between China’s leaders, which would explain some of the news coming out of the country.
Further, some commentators also pontificate that Xi Jinping’s recent crackdowns on tech, education and real estate were partly caused by this internal civil war. Were those businesses affiliated with his rivals? Possibly. At this point, it’s all just speculation.
What isn’t speculation is Xi Jinping’s aim at securing his position at the 20th PRC National Congress, and if he does there’s no telling what will happen next. If he secures his power, he could very well become a modern day Son of Heaven.
However, the same is true if he should fail. His particular faction of the CCP may end up at the chopping block. Some commentators argue that this power struggle is driving aggression at Taiwan, and that Xi may want to consolidate his power by launching a war. If it’s the latter, whoever replaces Xi will want to prove that he is better than him and may launch his version of war at Taiwan, or perhaps, start his own political crackdowns of Xi’s supporters.
Remember, that China is currently undergoing economic woes, with its manufacturing, agriculture and real estate sectors in a mess, and a power crunch currently ongoing. Combine that with political problems, and it’s easy how these factors can interact to create a situation where the PRC’s key players are desperate enough to try something… anything to help shore up their power, including a series of explosions./PN
