Lingling Wei

So that's one interpretation.

And now, with the removal of Zhang Youxia, any internal, authoritative voices that could have slowed Xi's hand or provided objective advice on Taiwan are basically gone.

Xi is now the sole voice directing strategy toward the island.

Xi is shifting toward really a much broader coercive campaign against Taiwan.

That includes maritime blockades, all those military exercises.

cyber attacks on Taiwanese infrastructure, and diplomatic battles, all aimed at breaking Taipei's resolve without open conflict.

So yes, the risks of a military invasion have receded.

However, China

will continue to increase military pressure on Taiwan because that's a core part of this coercive campaign against Taiwan.

So overall, you know, based on our conversation with the administration, their goal is to really raise the cost of military action for China.

And they want to prevent a Chinese military attack without engaging in needless confrontation.

That confidence really stems from a fundamental reassessment of Washington's resolve to defend Taiwan.

in the event of a Chinese invasion, Beijing basically views President Trump as having little appetite for costly military intervention in the Taiwan Strait.

Even the Trump administration's recent $11.1 billion arms sale to Taiwan, the largest in history, has been interpreted

in Beijing as promoting the defense industry rather than a security commitment.

That's according to analysts we spoke to.

Xi Jinping's view of the United States is that, you know, when he compares China's strengths to the U.S.

national strengths, he felt like China is almost there.

It's almost on par with the U.S.

This moment is a pivotal moment in the Communist Party's history.