Will Xi Jinping’s ‘Breakout’ Strategy Succeed?

Xi Jinping spoke with unusual candor about the international situation at the start of China’s recent National People’s Congress. According to him, “Western countries — led by the U.S. — have implemented all-round containment, encirclement, and suppression against us,” and this campaign is “bringing unprecedentedly severe challenges to our country’s development.”

He forgot to mention that his own actions have caused this backlash. China’s belligerence is increasingly alarming its neighbors, who are drawing close to each other and to the U.S. for protection. To counter them, Xi is trying to centralize his control over China and make gains in Europe and the Middle East. The question is if China’s neighbors can build up defenses faster than China can break through them. And so far, the signs are not encouraging.

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Mike Watson

Mike Watson was the deputy director of the Center for Strategy and American Statecraft at the Hudson Institute.

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Xi Jinping spoke with unusual candor about the international situation at the start of China’s recent National People’s Congress. According to him, “Western countries — led by the U.S. — have implemented all-round containment, encirclement, and suppression against us,” and this campaign is “bringing unprecedentedly severe challenges to our country’s development.”

He forgot to mention that his own actions have caused this backlash. China’s belligerence is increasingly alarming its neighbors, who are drawing close to each other and to the U.S. for protection. To counter them, Xi is trying to centralize his control over China and make gains in Europe and the Middle East. The question is if China’s neighbors can build up defenses faster than China can break through them. And so far, the signs are not encouraging.