What Xi Jinping Wants

Xi Jinping’s leadership represents a fundamental shift toward Marxist-Leninist nationalism, where the Chinese Communist Party acts as an accelerator of historical change. Driven by a dialectical worldview, Xi prioritizes state-led industrial dominance and internal control over private economic growth, aiming to secure China’s position as the world’s preeminent power. This strategy, characterized by massive industrial subsidies and a pervasive surveillance apparatus, challenges Western economic models and creates significant geopolitical friction. Managing this competition requires sustained deterrence, particularly regarding Taiwan, while simultaneously identifying narrow avenues for cooperation in global public health and AI safety. By viewing history as a linear struggle, Xi’s administration has transformed China into a formidable industrial juggernaut, necessitating a clear-eyed American strategy that balances firm strategic boundaries with the realities of global interdependence.