Chinese President Xi Jinping is launching a coordinated offensive both at home and abroad, capitalizing on international distractions in Ukraine, Gaza, and Iran to solidify his authority. At 73 years old and having led the country for nearly 15 years, Xi is aggressively pursuing a legacy aimed at establishing China as the dominant global superpower. This dual-track strategy involves a severe domestic crackdown on ethnic minorities alongside assertive military and technological maneuvers on the world stage.
Domestically, Xi's administration has introduced a new "ethnic unity" law as part of a broader sinicisation policy. This legislation targets the approximately 125 million members of China's 55 ethnic and religious minorities, who make up about 9% of the country's population. Xi has stated that these minority groups must "hug tightly like pomegranate seeds" to foster national integration and identity, primarily through the mandatory use of the Mandarin language. However, minority groups including Tibetans, Mongolians, and Uyghurs view the law as a campaign of forced assimilation and ethnic cleansing designed to destroy their unique cultures and enforce a conformist monoculture dominated by the Communist party.
The domestic crackdown has drawn criticism from human rights groups like Amnesty International, though response from Western governments has been muted. The urgency of the crisis was highlighted last month when Free Tibet activist Lobga Rangzen died after setting himself on fire in protest outside the United Nations headquarters in New York. This tragedy follows years of systematic repression, including the operation of "re-education" camps in Xinjiang and crackdowns in Tibet. The new law extends harsh penalties even to Chinese citizens living abroad, aiming to silence any remaining dissent. Beyond ethnic minorities, the state continues to target pro-democracy figures, such as the prosecuted former Apple Daily publisher Jimmy Lai in Hong Kong, as well as independent Christian churches and unauthorized religious organizations.
Politically, Xi's domestic control appears absolute as the 21st party congress in 2027 approaches. This week, top regime officials are gathering for a secretive conclave at the Beidaihe seaside resort in Hebei province. The meeting is expected to endorse Xi's demands for absolute loyalty, officially described as the "sustained advancement of full and rigorous party self-governance." This gathering, along with another meeting scheduled for October, occurs against the backdrop of Stalinist-style purges targeting senior political and military figures.
Internationally, China is actively challenging the United States and its allies. Reports indicate that Beijing is planning to provide Iran with up to 400 shoulder-fired missiles and advanced air defense systems, while continuing to offer material support to Russia's military campaign in Ukraine. On the economic front, Beijing has increasingly utilized trade restrictions. Following its decision to restrict exports of vital rare earth minerals last year, China responded to new tariffs from Donald Trump this week by blocking the sale of drone technology.
These aggressive actions coincide with a perceived weakening of the post-1945 international order under Trump, whose policies have strained relationships with traditional American allies like Japan, South Korea, and European NATO members. Viewing this geopolitical shift as a strategic opportunity, Xi has agreed to visit Trump in Washington next month, following their previous meeting in Beijing in May. The upcoming summit is expected to focus heavily on artificial intelligence, a field where Washington fears it may be losing ground. Trump requested the meeting after China secured AI partnerships with 28 nations, primarily in the global south. Trump recently remarked that artificial intelligence is "probably the biggest thing anybody's ever seen," adding that "whoever wins that race is probably going to win, period."
While Xi appears to be outmaneuvering the U.S. on trade, technology, and regional security in the Asia-Pacific, his authoritarian rule faces underlying vulnerabilities. China continues to struggle economically, and young, urban Chinese citizens may eventually resist the suffocating control of the state. Nonetheless, as international attention remains fixed on conflicts elsewhere, Xi continues to systematically close the door on peaceful coexistence both within China and across the globe.
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