General Secretary Xi Jinping holds a press conference after the first plenary session of the 1st Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on October 23, 2022, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing ©Kyodo).
Recently, Japan began discharging treated water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean. However, more than the release of the water, it has been the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)'s new round of anti-Japan maneuvers that has astonished the world. The CCP has unleashed all its media tools to incite hatred and exaggerate the danger of the treated water. The CCP has also imposed an import ban on all Japanese seafood.
The CCP's propaganda and ban appear to be carried out with disregard for the people of Japan. The propaganda and ban have even harmed China's own fishing industry and businesses involved in seafood products.
Though these maneuvers by the CCP haven't surprised those familiar with Chinese affairs, we still need to ask a question: Why choose to do this now?
Japan: The First Obstacle to Remove
The CCP has a well-known need for "diverting attention" from internal problems. Beyond this, however, I believe that this round of maneuvers may also be related to the strategic decisions already made by Chinese President Xi Jinping.
In particular, I think the anti-Japan propaganda and ban may derive from his determination to achieve "strategic victory" against the United States and the West at their "own doorstep."
Japan could be the first obstacle to be removed to achieve this goal.
中国人学校の教師がどのように生徒たちに日本の福島処理水の放出の「危険性」を説明し、どのようにの首相への手紙の書き、またどうゆう風に「骨を吐き出さずに人を食べる」 と「汚い言葉を使わずに悪口を言う」事を生徒たちに教えたかをご覧ください。… pic.twitter.com/8RSyWdPaX6
— Inconvenient Truths by Jennifer Zeng 曾錚真言 (@jenniferzeng97) August 28, 2023
No More Illusions about America and the West
According to former Peking University professor Yuan Hongbing, the above-mentioned "strategic decisions" were conveyed to top CCP leaders at their annual secret meetings at Beidaihe in early August. The content is said to have been communicated to provincial and ministerial-level officials within the CCP over the two days following the meeting.
There were eleven key points in Xi Jinping's speech. I take them up one by one below.
1. Reaffirming the need to adopt a mindset ready to face extreme challenges.
Xi Jinping attributes the unprecedented crisis faced by the CCP to the comprehensive encirclement and suppression by international "hostile forces." By this, Xi means forces led by the United States. Therefore, Xi stressed the importance of dispelling any illusions regarding the US.
Xi Jinping's judgment is that the United States is carrying out a strategic blockade and suppression against China, and that this situation cannot be fundamentally changed. To break through the current unprecedented crisis, the CCP can only engage in a strategic battle against the US.
Xi emphasized that there should be no room for any sense of luck or complacency in this regard.
Decisive Battle Inevitable
2. Xi Jinping sees a decisive battle as inevitable.
Therefore, he proposed that, in order to seize the opportunity to win, China should engage in a strategic showdown with the US on a battleground of China's choosing.
Xi has chosen the so-called "doorstep" of China, the Taiwan Strait, as the battlefield for this strategic showdown with the US.
Invoking the Korean War
3. Xi Jinping emphasized his previous instructions to the military to be fully focused on winning battles.
Given the unavoidable nature of the strategic showdown with the US, Xi Jinping called on the entire party and military to be firmly focused on winning. Xi instructed them to have a resolute mindset of aiming to win, and to establish this unwavering faith throughout the party and military.
This means that the CCP must resolve all major political, economic, and diplomatic crises in one fell swoop through a strategic showdown with the US in the Taiwan Strait.
Xi Jinping also urged the entire party to remember his predecessor Chairman Mao Zedong's words when deciding to intervene in the Korean War. "Throw the first punch [at others]," Mao said, "to avoid a hundred punches [at us]."
Xi stressed the need to establish the courage and determination to confront the US head-on and to be confident of victory in the Taiwan Strait showdown.
Stand Firm in the South China Sea
4. Xi Jinping proposed the principle of daring to fight and being good at fighting.
Where strength is needed, it must be displayed. Specifically, he pointed out that in the South China Sea, China should stand firm against countries like the US and the Philippines.
Xi emphasized the need to strengthen the militarization of islands in the South China Sea. This would ensure that the battlefield environment during a Taiwan Strait showdown favors the People's Liberation Army's operations.
Consolidate the Sino-Russian Strategic Alliance
5. Xi indicated the need to continue to develop and consolidate the substantial strategic alliance between China and Russia.
Xi suggested that on the issue of relations between China and Russia, no opportunistic stance should be taken. It is important to firmly support the signing of a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine under circumstances favorable to Russia's strategic situation.
Xi emphasized the prevention of any destabilizing failure in Russia. The aim of this is to ensure that, in the event of a Taiwan Strait showdown, Russia remains a reliable energy backup for China.
Form an 'Internal' Economic System
6. Xi Jinping demanded a unified ideological understanding within the party.
He also demanded that the now gradual establishment of a domestic economic "internal circulation" system and mechanisms be accelerated.
Xi emphasized the need to effectively reduce reliance on US technology and finance. He instructed that Chinese holdings of US Treasury bonds be tapered off gradually, without revealing the strategic intention of a showdown with the US.
Xi Jinping believes that the downward trend of China's economy is difficult to change in the short term. He blames this on the blockade and pressure from "hostile forces" led by the US.
Therefore, for Xi, the fundamental solution to changing this economic dilemma is to defeat the US, the root cause of China's economic decline, in a Taiwan Strait showdown.
Strengthen Anti-Corruption to Seize Money for Military Expenses
7. In preparation for the Taiwan Strait showdown, Xi Jinping urged the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection to strengthen anti-corruption efforts across various industries.
He called for a resolute implementation of a 20-year retrospective anti-corruption investigation.
Funds confiscated through anti-corruption efforts in various industries should be used to bolster military expenses, Xi directed. This is to ensure that there is no shortage of funds for the showdown with the US.
Drive a Wedge Between the US and Europe
8. Regarding the art of struggle, Xi Jinping suggested using public opinion and information warfare to drive a wedge between the US and Europe.
This would make the international community believe that the CCP is striving for world peace and continued foreign investment for economic development. In this way, the CCP's strategic judgment for a showdown with the US in the Taiwan Strait would be masked.
Influence Taiwanese Elections
9. Xi Jinping specifically instructed various foreign affairs departments and institutions to focus first on Taiwan's 2024 elections.
He emphasized the effort to support the victory of candidates from the Kuomintang (KMT, also known as the "blue and white" camps) as long as the election outcome is uncertain.
To achieve this, Xi Jinping demanded the use of powerful economic and trade measures to sanction the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government. Xi said that this should be done during the critical period of the 2023 fourth quarter, which is the decisive moment for the Taiwan elections.
Xi Jinping stressed that aiding the victory of a Kuomintang candidate is not based on unrealistic fantasies of the party's pursuit of cross-strait unification. Instead, it is aimed at dealing a heavy blow to forces advocating Taiwanese independence once the Kuomintang regains power.
A KMT victory would also significantly strain Taiwan-US relations, leading to political turmoil and weakness in Taiwan. This, in turn, would greatly enhance the CCP's chances of launching a Taiwan Strait operation.
Foment Chaos in the US
10. Xi Jinping also put forward a specific strategic requirement to the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Specifically, Xi ordered the mobilizing of all diplomatic resources and the long-cultivated United Front forces in the US.
Utilizing the opportunity of the 2024 US elections, the goal is to push the US into a period of severe political division and social turmoil worse than the previous election cycle. This would fundamentally weaken America's national resolve to engage in a Taiwan Strait conflict.
Enhance North Korea's Missile Capabilities to Deter Japan & South Korea
11. Xi Jinping further instructed the International Liaison Department and the Ministry of National Defense to strengthen political and military ties with North Korea.
The aim is to effectively enhance North Korea's missile capabilities.
A North Korea with a strong missile array will be able to exert a strong military deterrence against US military bases in Japan and South Korea. This would create a situation where Japan and South Korea are hesitant to intervene in Taiwan-related matters.
Reality Confirms the Above Main Points
The eleven points mentioned above outline Xi Jinping's alleged speech in Beidaihe. Given recent events, I consider the information to be highly credible.
For instance, the recent anti-corruption campaign launched in the medical field in China appears to be a movement aimed at confiscating funds through anti-corruption efforts.
Another example is the CCP's sudden announcement on August 21, 2023, to suspend mango imports from Taiwan. This move is likely an economic and trade measure designed to exert pressure on Taiwan.
And the ongoing anti-Japan campaign gives a more urgent sense of the CCP's preparation for a final military showdown.
Does Xi Battle Mental Illness?
The above points make Xi sound like a coldly calculating man. But what is the real story?
Another issue that not many people are talking about is Xi Jinping's mental status. There have long been rumors that Xi Jinping suffers from a severe mental illness, but I haven't felt the need to share this piece of information until now.
Online rumor has it that Xi Jinping fell into a frenzy in Beidaihe, summoning each of the Politburo Standing Committee members for talks. He reportedly criticized previous party leaders like Deng Xiaoping, Jiang Zemin, and Hu Jintao for being irresponsible.
Xi also allegedly criticized the financial industry, banks, real estate developers, and officials for lacking conscience. He is said to have accused these groups of emptying the national coffers and leaving behind a pile of debt and other difficulties for him to deal with.
Assessing the Rumors about Xi's Mental Health
At present, these rumors cannot be confirmed. However, Xi Jinping's family does have a history of mental conditions.
Chinese writer and YouTuber Laodeng suggested that Xi Jinping is under significant psychological pressure and must take psychiatric medication, primarily mood stabilizers for bipolar disorder. During his visit to South Africa for the BRICS summit, Xi was said to be accompanied by a psychiatrist.
Some also claimed that a group of experts from the CCP's Central Health Care Commission issued a diagnosis that Xi was suffering from hereditary mental illness as early as 2019.
Additionally, it's well-known that Xi Jinping's father, Xi Zhongxun, suffered from a mental illness. During the period when Xi Zhongxun was persecuted during the Cultural Revolution, he exhibited incoherent speech and disorganized language during meetings. In his later years, his condition worsened, and he remained in a state of ill health.
There are also claims that Xi Jinping's grandfather, Xi Chongde, was known as a "lunatic" in his hometown and died of an attack of insanity at the age of 43.
Has Xi Suffered a Stroke?
On Aug 22, Gao Yu, a veteran Beijing media personality, retweeted, "Ma Xiaowei, the boss of the national health system, was taken away from the high-ranking ward of the Peking Union Medical College Hospital on the 17th."
As the implementer of Xi Jinping's three-year Zero-Covid policy, Ma Xiaowei has not been seen in public since March this year. So it is highly possible that something has happened to him.
The latest rumor was that the reason for Ma Xiaowei's arrest was that he had leaked Xi Jinping's health condition to the CCP elders. It was said that Xi Jinping had suffered a stroke and the way he walked when he arrived in South Africa on August 21 for the BRICS Summit showed that he couldn't walk straight. Instead, he walked diagonally as he descended the airplane's suspension ladder. People say that is a sign that he had a stroke.
Is Xi Jinping Thinking Clearly about His Plans for Conquest?
During the recent BRICS Summit, Xi Jinping's absence from the Business Forum on August 22 sparked a lot of speculation. From the way he walked and reacted after his interpreter was stopped by the South African security guards, people may have reason to believe that Xi is not in the best of health.
It's said that major dictators around the world often have some degree of mental issues. Coupled with the concerns about Xi's mind are even bigger concerns about what he may be planning. Xi holds control over the massive country of China and the CCP's nuclear-armed PLA. He could be considering launching an all-out war. The question is, is Xi Jinping in control of himself?
By the way, the latest news is, Xi Jinping may skip the G20 meeting on September 9-10. This suggests his health isn't too good. Or something major has happened in China.
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Author: Jennifer Zeng
Jennifer Zeng is a former researcher at the Development Research Center of the State Council of the People's Republic of China. She currently lives in the United States and hosts “Inconvenient Truths by Jennifer Zeng” on YouTube and her own website, and also information and analysis mainly on current affairs and politics in China.
