An Emboldened Xi Jinping Pushes the Boundaries

“Less than four months ago, Xi Jinping faced the biggest crisis of his leadership, as it was bruised by China’s initial, bungled response to the coronavirus,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

“He has since pulled off an extraordinary turnaround, buoyed by Beijing’s reported success in curbing the virus while the U.S. and many other democracies wrestle with it. Mr. Xi has seized the moment to gain ground in areas central to his ‘China Dream’ of a strong unified nation, on par with—if not surpassing—the U.S., while brushing aside government shortcomings.”

“With Washington and its allies distracted by the pandemic and its economic fallout, Mr. Xi is taking bold steps on issues where he’s often faced international pushback, including Hong Kong, Taiwan, the South China Sea and a disputed border with India.”

South China Morning Post: Chinese general says Beijing will “resolutely smash” any separatist moves by Taiwan.