Commentary Chinese state-run media is celebrating “the downfall of the United States” following news of the Jan. 6 breach of the Capitol building. Xinhua published a Jan. 12 commentary titled, “On the Collapse of America as a ‘Beacon’: Well Deserved!” Being a mouthpiece for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), it can be assumed that the Xinhua article reflects the top CCP leaders’ attitude toward the United States. The article’s author, Wu Liming, is deputy director of the international department at Xinhua. As with most articles that run in state media, his commentary is likely not his personal opinion but a reflection of how the CCP’s senior officials think. The article starts out: “The ‘beacon’ that is the United States, which claims to be the benchmark of Western democracy, has fallen. … In the live video broadcast, I saw that the symbol of the beacon—Capitol Hill—has fallen. … Let American democracy …