Global Scans · Xi Jinping · Weekly Summary

• Driven by Xi Jinping's mandate to build a world-class military, the PLA has constructed over 300 new solid-fuel missile silos in western China and is projected to possess over 1,000 nuclear warheads by 2030. DVIDS
• Under Xi, China might make very deliberate and aggressive choices regarding Taiwan, the South China Sea and elsewhere in the full knowledge that conflict was a possibility. The Strategist
• A desperate Xi could spend a lot in 2027, but Japan's experience and the limits of Keynesian stimulus in conditions of high debt, high saving, and demographic contraction argue strongly against any important gains. American Enterprise Institute - AEI
• With the 21st Party Congress approaching in 2027, expectations are high that Chinese President Xi Jinping will prioritise political control and technological supremacy over the consumption stimulus needed to break the cycle. ThinkChina - Big Reads, Opinions & Columns on China
• China's claim to sovereignty over the island of Taiwan and President Xi Jinping's stated objective of re-unification by 2049 have driven an escalating campaign of grey zone pressure, including air defence zone incursions and expanding Coast Guard operations. Global Conflict Tracker
• By 2030, China expects AI to be a primary growth engine; by 2035, an intelligent economy and society sufficient to underpin what Xi Jinping calls socialist modernization. The Diplomat
• The next 60 days - between the ASEAN ministerial and the Trump-Xi summit - will determine whether the South China Sea enters a phase of managed competition or drifts toward a series of incidents that neither side fully controls. CES Intelligence
• Analysts doubt Xi will pressure Tehran heavily or end support for its military, given Iran's strategic value to Beijing as a counterweight to the United States. The Daily Star
• While the energy shortfall is problematic for China, in other ways Washington riding roughshod over established maritime norms plays in Beijing's hands, especially regarding its claims over Taiwan, the self-ruling island Xi has repeatedly threatened to invade. Time
• US-China relations will remain broadly stable in H2 2026 and going into 2027, as Presidents Trump and Xi work towards new trade arrangements. Fitch Solutions
• President Xi Jinping has promoted AI and robotics as part of China's drive to develop new quality productive forces - that will create jobs and boost economic growth. BBC News
• There are any number of views on whether Xi Jinping will move to take Taiwan militarily; almost everyone agrees it is more likely now that it was at the start of the decade. The Spinoff
• China is preparing for a summit between President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump in May, where Beijing will likely be looking for clarity around the threat of Section 301 tariffs. CNBC
• The US-China relationship has stabilized modestly, and multiple Trump-Xi meetings are expected in 2026, creating opportunities for incremental progress, with key questions around export controls and access to advanced technology unresolved. Androscoggin Financial Services
• President Xi will build railway bridges and roads across Africa. Hindustan Times
• Xi will try to demonstrate China's sway over the Korean Peninsula and a leadership role in entire Northeast Asia in the age of strategic competition with the U.S.. NPR

Last updated: 14 September 2026