[fancl20]

I think his point is not that this being the underlying goal. Instead the China’s foreign policy is designed based on the analysis that inevitably at some point, China will be the predominant power in Asia. The policy is not designed to realize the goal, but prepare / accommodate the inevitable future (which makes no sense from a cost-benefit model because you do something for the sake of its result).

> one can't help but noticed Xi's much more conciliatory tone in the past few month

It maybe more relates to the fact that diplomas advocating for a more hawkish foreign policy being slowly wiped out from the power centre after mid 2021. Though a full swing policy change may only possible after the first plenary session of the 20th Central Committee (which was October 2022).

Xi never hides that he is just reading what was decided within the party for many of these foreign policies. SCMP has reported that during the Xi-Biden meeting for any issue not directly related to China, he will read the notes.

[refurb]

I would argue the 2nd quote directly contradicts the idea that the policy is to just "prepare". From the article I got the sense in the "inevitability of the triumph of Marxism over capitalism", not necessarily that China will rise to be a power regardless of what it does.

[fancl20]

It’s inevitable because of the CCP’s leadership and the objective conditions by their analysis. Remember CCP is an ideological party which means core party members do believe CCP as a party is more important than anyone including Xi. All decisions are made because the party’s ideology, not because anyone’s personal decision.

It doesn’t make sense from outside the party as I said so I think your feeling is probably why Kevin Rudd is lobbying in both U.S and Australia for better understanding the situation.

Also you can only go so far ideologically before stopped by the reality (or vice versa in realism because ideology is a larger part of our self-identity). A more ideological CCP only means they are more willing to afford the cost, push as far as they can, and retreat a little bit after over doing it. IMO cost-benefit analysis (or usually, who is the winner / the winning scenario) isn’t very helpful in such context because that’s not CCP’s calculation.