Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s calls for a more “lovable” portrayal of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) on the world stage will result in a major charm offensive from Beijing, but no slowdown to its aggression in the Indo-Pacific region, according to experts. In late May, Xi reportedly told a “study session” conducted by the CCP’s Central Committee—the executive body of the regime—that China’s officialdom and state-controlled media need to reshape global opinion toward Beijing, which has plunged in recent years. According to a 2020 Pew Research Center survey, public sentiment toward Beijing and Xi plummeted across 14 major developed countries, driven by Beijing’s mishandling of the COVID-19 outbreak from Wuhan and its takeover of Hong Kong. During the study session, Xi called on Party organs to “tell the China story well” and spread the “voice of China,” adding that it was necessary to improve “China’s cultural appeal, its image, the …