James Kynge

It wants to present an extraordinary level of military prowess so that it can achieve its strategic aims such as eventually take back Taiwan or take back the first island chain.

This is what Xi Jinping's program is all about.

It's a security-first vision for China's place in the world.

And therefore, I don't think that the U.S.

really has much hope of inveigling China into some kind of a negotiating situation ahead of the April meeting between Trump and Xi.

I just don't see that happening.

I would say that China would be highly resistant to this type of nuclear arms control in the foreseeable future.

Well, I mean, I think, first of all, that Sanae Takeuchi's victory was really quite stunning.

And I think it can be seen, to some extent at least...

as powered by China.

China's uncompromising stance towards Japan over what Takeuchi said about disputed territories between China and Japan has definitely, I think, propelled some of the voters to vote for her.

It's created this sense of unity among the Japanese.

And of course, Japanese culture and society is famed for its sense of unity.

And it seems to me that that is

partly what's happened in the very, very strong vote that Xi has received.

How that now plays out is another question.

I would say this bolsters Takeuchi's stance of effectively remaining unmoved by Chinese pressure.

But we don't know how deep the Chinese pressure will get.

We don't know whether China will deploy...

all kinds of other economic tools against Japan.