[etaioinshrdlu]

Is xi Jinping’s grip on power really that strong? Is there no chance the CCP can vote to remove him and change course? I doubt all of them feel great about returning to a new Mao-like era when the more economically free system was clearly pleasant enough.

[user_named]

The congress in October is precisely why the covid 0 policy is maintained, so he won't be blamed for a large outbreak.

[mdp2021]

You have just answered, with the most cynical note, possibly eye-opening, to a question that many have raised, including people of refined intellect. Maybe they were missing the notion of the appointment on the calendar, maybe they did not associate the two (or did not instinctively believe they could be associated - but when you add the "mitigating factors", the decision gains an aspect of "rational", or of /rationalized/).