April’s Politburo meetings and subsequent policy deployments indicate that Xi Jinping and his fellow Politburo members are scrambling to adapt to a harsher external environment—one marked by persistent U.S. tariffs, accelerating technology decoupling, and slowing global demand. Beijing’s response points toward deeper economic self-reliance and greater strategic mobilization. This entails a potential for more direct and sustained confrontation with the United States. Pressure is growing inside leadership circles beneath a projected image of calm. Yet nowhere in the recent meetings is there any indication that the Party is preparing to negotiate or de-escalate.
Stabilization and ‘Struggle’: Strategic Signals from April’s Politburo and Trade Meetings (Matthew Johnson – The Jamestown Foundation)
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