Commentary:
Peter Parker’s (Spiderman) Uncle Ben once said, “With great power comes great responsibility.” Or, to quote former Secretary of State Colin Powell: “You break it, you bought it.”
This latter saying, usually known as the “Pottery Barn rule,” should be Xi Jinping’s personal mantra for the next five years. Xi has always wanted to be the “chairman of everything,” and now, after being elected to an unprecedented third term as leader of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), he is responsible for everything that goes right—and more importantly, everything that goes wrong.
There is likely to be a lot done wrong over the next five years. China is moving into a phase characterized by a lot of hubris regarding what Beijing wants—and thinks it can do—matched against growing doubts over its ability to implement its ambitious plans and policies….