Part 4/11:
Ken emphasizes that such rumors are not harmless entertainment. They create illusions of cracks in Xi’s grip on power, leading many to believe the regime is fragile or teetering. This misinformation hampers meaningful resistance because it replaces strategic analysis with wishful thinking. Power in China’s system isn’t subject to random coups or sudden collapses—Xi Jinping has systematically consolidated control over every core institution: the military, the security apparatus, propaganda outlets, and the party’s personnel system.