Xi is laying the groundwork for the coming war against Taiwan (and nations beyond)

To understand how this campaign works, it is important to place Xi’s speech in the context of all Chinese official and officially unofficial speaking about Taiwan and its allies. For example, soon after Xi spoke, General He Lei of the People’s Liberation Army delivered this wisdom for public consumption:

The very few “Taiwan-independence” separatists would be classified as war criminals that must be punished if the Chinese mainland is forced to deal with the Taiwan question by force, a People’s Liberation Army (PLA) general said on Wednesday.

The key point in General He’s remarks is not that Taiwan independence separatists will be hung — that would necessitate hanging about three-fourths of the population — but the phrase “very few”. I’ll return to that in a moment.

This context is a classic formulation, where the Great Man at the top delivers “philosophical musings” that mix benevolence, sorrow that Someone Has Left The Path of Righteousness, and gentle warnings of possible sternness, while underlings send more direct, clearer, and nastier threats. The reality is indicated from below, leaving Xi to sound more high-minded than he actually is or the situation warrants.