This explains why the Trump presidency seems to be simultaneously hostile to China but also envious of it. Because its ideology isn’t really the issue. In fact, in many ways, the civilizational warriors of the West are jealous of the civilizational cohesion of the Chinese state. Lucian Pye called it a “civilization pretending to be a state”. That would be a situation to be aspired to, even if it required increased state control and authoritarianism.