Chris Buckley, Chinese Leader’s Rapid Rise Presents Challenges to the US. New York Times, Nov 12, 2014.
Quote:
"'There is this contradiction between this Cold War-ideological thinking about hostile foreign forces and US subversion, but at the same time saying that they want to have this new type of great power relationship,' said Susan L Shirk, a professor at the University of California, San Diego, who served as a deputy assistant secretary of state in the Clinton administration. 'It’s the domestic insecurity of the Chinese Communist Party.' Gnawing fear and anxiety, Professor Shirk and other China experts say, are the flip side of China’s new strength and assertiveness, and may go a long way toward explaining what can appear to be dissonant positions.
"Several China scholars said Mr Xi was likely to defy early expectations that he might shift to a more moderate course after consolidating power. Such a shift could be seen as a sign of dangerous weakness, they said. 'If over the next year or two, there is a significant slowdown in the Chinese economy, the air quality fails to improve in major cities such as Beijing, or the violence spreads from Xinjiang to other parts of the country, then Xi may well take a serious hit to his political authority,' Elizabeth C Economy, director for Asian studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, said in emailed answers to questions. “The motivation behind his tough approach may well include fear that it will all come crashing down otherwise.'
My comment: There is an element of speculation among China watchers, including the two in quotations. (The truth is nobody is certain what will happen to China. So I was once ambivalent whether to bring to your attention this report, based on speculations.) I decided to go ahead, but suggest you read the quotations only, which do speak for lots of people in the world, who are scrutinizes China under microscope to divine what will happen next (over there).