Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) traveled to Hong Kong on Thursday, spending two days in the former British colony to attend the 25th anniversary of its return to China in 1997. Paradoxically, during the two-day visit, Xi did not stay the night in Hong Kong, and instead went back to Shenzhen on Thursday night, returning to the territory the following day.
Some observers say Xi crossed back into Shenzhen as a preventive measure to guard against catching COVID-19. Others say that he was concerned he might be met with protest from Hong Kongers. Another theory is that Xi went back to mainland China to prevent a political coup or to frustrate an assassination attempt.
Whatever the real reason, not spending the night in Hong Kong defies common sense. It was, on the face of it, an illogical itinerary and an unnecessary inconvenience.
While Xi was visiting Hong Kong, the G7 met for a summit in Germany. None of those leaders felt the need to return to their country to spend the night.
Xi holds an enormous amount of power and looks set to govern the world’s second-largest economy and 1.4 billion Chinese for another five years, yet he was apparently unable or unwilling to perform the simple task of staying one night in Hong Kong.
This raises the question: Is Xi a paper tiger? Outwardly strong, but inwardly weak, frightened of his own shadow.
The Chinese Communist Party authoritarian state, with a ruling oligarchy at its top, is engulfed in factional infighting at the highest level as contending groups seek to secure the imperial robes and vanquish their foes. At the bottom of the pile, rank-and-file Chinese are seething and their anger is growing.
China’s leader appears so arrogant, but he must exercise extreme caution whenever he steps outside his front door.
In the paranoid world of Chinese elite politics, everyone is a potential enemy and assassins are lurking behind every corner. This is the Achilles’ heel of a regime that is outwardly strong, yet inwardly incredibly weak.
Huang Wei-ping is a former think tank researcher.
Translated by Edward Jones
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