China after Xi

[Teallaura]

What if Pootie cacks of cancer and Xi and Uncle Joe both pop aneurysms all on the same day?

Funny thing is, we wouldn't know it had happened on the same day for months. Russia and China would have succession issues and be in varying stages of hiding it while slugging out the succession fight. I'm not sure anyone would notice Biden missing for at least a week - two if he's in Delaware when it happens.

[Ronson]

Why do you put him ahead of Hu Jintao? I admit I haven't done a deep dive into them and could be missing important things, but it at least seems to me that there was less controversy with China while Jintao was in charge.

I thought the Hainan incident occurred during his reign. Apparently that was his predecessor.

[Terraceth]

That's my concern. As awful as he is, Xi is probably the most pragmatic ruler they've had since their commie revolution IIRC, the others have been various degrees of worse.

Why do you put him ahead of Hu Jintao? I admit I haven't done a deep dive into them and could be missing important things, but it at least seems to me that there was less controversy with China while Jintao was in charge.

[Ronson]

A vacuum will be created and someone just as bad, or worse, will fill it.

That's my concern. As awful as he is, Xi is probably the most pragmatic ruler they've had since their commie revolution IIRC, the others have been various degrees of worse.

[rogue06]

What if Pootie cacks of cancer and Xi and Uncle Joe both pop aneurysms all on the same day?

Likely the largest reshuffling of the deck in history

[NorrinRadd]

What if Pootie cacks of cancer and Xi and Uncle Joe both pop aneurysms all on the same day?

[rogue06]

I don't think that's necessarily the case. While I'm sure whoever his replacement will be won't suddenly be saying "everything we were doing is wrong, let's ditch authoritarianism and embrace democracy" or anything like that, there are still different degrees of authoritarianism. Xi Jinping seems to be much more repressive than his predecessor, Hu Jintao, was. For example, China is often criticized for its treatment of the Uyghurs. While China obviously wasn't the nicest to them before Jinping, it was under Jinping's rule that things really ramped up against them.

So I don't see any particular reason to assume that Jinping's successor will be as bad or worse. I think he could be better. But, of course, he could be worse as well. I don't know the interior structure of the Chinese Communist Party anywhere near enough to try to offer a guess as to which scenario is most likely.

If Xi is not long for power, the article mentioned Li Keqiang, as the likely successor, who I haven't heard much about except he is a hand's on policy wonk who focuses on the economy, and said that China no longer needs the American market to survive.

[Terraceth]

A vacuum will be created and someone just as bad, or worse, will fill it.

I don't think that's necessarily the case. While I'm sure whoever his replacement will be won't suddenly be saying "everything we were doing is wrong, let's ditch authoritarianism and embrace democracy" or anything like that, there are still different degrees of authoritarianism. Xi Jinping seems to be much more repressive than his predecessor, Hu Jintao, was. For example, China is often criticized for its treatment of the Uyghurs. While China obviously wasn't the nicest to them before Jinping, it was under Jinping's rule that things really ramped up against them.

So I don't see any particular reason to assume that Jinping's successor will be as bad or worse. I think he could be better. But, of course, he could be worse as well. I don't know the interior structure of the Chinese Communist Party anywhere near enough to try to offer a guess as to which scenario is most likely.

[Teallaura]

First I've heard of the health issue. I thought I'd seen pictures of him at the Olympics with Putin? Anyway, most of the speculation has been around whether or not he can keep things together long enough to be re-elected for an unprecedented third term later this year. The insane adherence to covid 0 being an attempt to save face before the party congress meets.

The real estate industry may beat covid to the punch 0 it's just about in free fall and a collapse is going to be a really big domino in a sea of tottering dominoes.

[Alien]

Oh, come on, I have never referred to it as the "China virus".



I call it the "China flu".

Sorry, I'm having a bad day mentally.

[Mountain Man]

I blame MM for calling it the "China virus". I think they took it to heart.

Oh, come on, I have never referred to it as the "China virus".



I call it the "China flu".

[mossrose]

A vacuum will be created and someone just as bad, or worse, will fill it.

[rogue06]

I blame MM for calling it the "China virus". I think they took it to heart.

And here I thought it might be my own preference for the Chicom coronavirus that done did it.

[Alien]

I blame MM for calling it the "China virus". I think they took it to heart.

[Roy]

Maybe now we can name the next Covid variant after him.

Maybe in another 89 years...