Commentary In the two senior level negotiations between China and the United States in March and July, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) used unprecedented tough words to lambast Washington. This strong position was in line with CCP leader Xi Jinping’s claim that “China could surpass the United States because time and trend are both in China’s favor; the East is waxing while the West is waning.” These strong words, however, inadvertently reveals the CCP’s core weaknesses. In the Alaskan meeting held on March 18 and 19, CCP politburo member Yang Jiechi drew a “red line” for the United States, warning the latter to stay clear of it. This forbidden area is the legitimacy of the CCP. He stressed that the ruling position of the CCP was the choice of history and its people. China owed its development to the CCP and that the socialist system it built best served China’s interests …