China’s Xi reassigns press minister in admission of failed policies


In a sign that Beijing might be softening its stance towards the west, a controversial China ministry of foreign affairs spokesperson, Zhao Lijian, has been moved to a lower-profile department. Epitomizing China’s “Wolf Warrior” approach to diplomacy, Zhao built a large following on Twitter and Chinese social media employing a combative defense of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s hardline policies. Straight Arrow News contributor Peter Zeihan sees this “reassigning” of Zhao as an indication that Xi realizes his policies are failing.

Excerpted from Peter’s Jan. 10 “Zeihan on Geopolitics” newsletter:

If we were to take the age-old saying of “s*** hitting the fan” and apply it to China…we would need a wind turbine and a few acres of cattle pastures.

To put it nicely, China’s outlook is…grim. They’re facing demographic dissolution, a dying tech industry and a risk exposed energy sector, and we’re barely scratching the surface. They are the single-most internationally exposed country in our collapsing world.

So how does a country like that continue on? The short answer is CHANGE and perhaps a little collaboration with the USA. To that tune, President Xi may have just given us a sign that he gets it.