Original article by Robert Gottliebsen
The Australian – Page: 20 : 5-Oct-22

Chinese President Xi Jinping appears to have the numbers to be given a third term at the Communist Party’s upcoming 20th National Congress. However, nothing has gone right for Xi in the last year, and he no longer has hero status. Xi made a serious mistake in not making it very clear to Russian President Vladimir Putin immediately prior to the Beijing Winter Olympics that China would oppose an invasion of Ukraine; Putin delayed the invasion until after the Olympics. The invasion will also dash Xi’s grand vision to link the Pacific to the Atlantic via fast rail; the rail line would have to pass through both Russia and Ukraine, and Putin had almost certainly assured Xi that victory would come quickly. Meanwhile, China’s property industry is in crisis and COVID-19 lockdowns are hitting the economy.

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