Thread by @calxandr

A first-rate opinion piece outlining the strategy we should all pursue in relations with China: "Our goal should not be to dictate to China how it is governed, but to embolden & enable those Chinese who want change to achieve it."

@globeandmail theglobeandmail.com/opinion/articl…

"(...) the Communist regime is not authoritarian, but totalitarian. Historian Robert Conquest defined a totalitarian state as one that recognizes no limits to its authority in any sphere of public or private life, & extends that authority to whatever length feasible."

"(...) this totalitarian regime is outwardly strong but inwardly weak,& (...) much of the Chinese elite is deeply opposed to the course to which Mr. Xi is committed. They recognize that economic reform without political change has created problems that damage China (...)."

"Little wonder that for the past 10 years, according to the published figures, the regime’s budget for internal security has been greater than that for defence. It fears internal discontent more than its external enemies."