China steadfast in 'Xi Jinping Thought'

Former CPC Chief Hu Jintao was removed from Congress in what looked a choreographed event within the proceedings; "a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma." Churchill said this about Russian national interest. To date, Russia has not changed very much. China, on the other hand has outpaced Russia in surveillance, military expansion, territorial proliferation, and the purloin of international goods in the global commons, particularly around the Galapagos Islands. Previous Chinese leaders appeared willing partners in multi lateral exchanges. Funny what a lottery win will do, such as the admittance to the World Trade Organisation in 2001. Seems like an odd reward for the Tiananmen debacle in 1989. However, the American's and Bill Clinton thought that China might change its stripes and democratise after being allowed into the hallowed ground of trade. It seemed to work for a while with Hu Jintao in power in a committee approach to the CCP. Conversely, simmering inside the Great Hall was the desire to strengthen China's "One China Policy." China played by their rules by sticking to two term limits as Russia had done. Vladimir Putin had enough of that and wrested power, more or less, permanently after Dmitry Medvedev served one term in office. What's good for the goose, the CPC thought, was okay with the popular Xi in  charge since 2012. As an aside, Tibetans might well remember the CPC reneging on the "17 Point Agreement" of 1951. Xi and the CPC modified the Constitution in 2018 to allow Xi unlimited term limits giving him unparalleled power since Mao Zedong was in office from 1943 - 1976 (his death.)  Xi and the CPC have absorbed Hong Kong with the National Security Law and now has its sights set on Taiwan. Taiwanese President Tsai Ing - wen is bolstering their military in an asymmetric warfare model encompassing a “porcupine” defense featuring "sea mines, anti-ship missiles launched from shore batteries and helicopters, and concentrated resistance wherever China tries to come ashore."  Taiwan is  seeking support from Japan, Australia, the U.S. and India as part of the Quad. India seems disingenuous being part of BRICS (Brazil/Russia/India/China) that resembles an IMF (International Monetary Fund) for this particular group.  And so, Taiwan sits 160 km from the Chinese shore with the hope that America's policy of "strategic ambiguity" might help stave off a Chinese invasion until the Taiwanese military is better prepared to defend the island (and its  valuable chip industry.) Former CPC leader Hu was escorted from  Congress in what appears  to be a signal to the international community that the past is a foot note and Xi is the future. Some scholars say a Chinese invasion of Taiwan is imminent before Taiwan's next Presidential election in 2024 - to 2028 when Chinese leadership believe it will be ready to mount an effective assault on the island. The hope is that the CPC will be deterred by the failure of Russia in Ukraine.   What is certain is that Xi wants to see Taiwan unified with the mainland on his watch.