I am still chewing on the import bans on Australia…. But in general, considering your prompt about the rhetoric from Xi personally as well the recent proposals for formulating the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) for National Economic and Social Development and the Long-Range Objectives Through the Year 2035, about greater opening to the world…

My guess is that it sounds good to say there will be a greater opening to the world, and that partially that is true as a way forward - am thinking specifically about any Belt and Road initiatives (which are also a power strategy), but more specifically “the greater opening” will apply only to the technologies and industries that the CCP still has gap areas in and has more work to do to become either 1) skilled at, or (the ultimate goal) 2) dominant in.

Proficiency or dominance would also go hand in hand with the voiced approach of becoming more a more self-sufficient country.

So, while China will be turning inward according to it, it will likely not do anything to disrupt partnerships with industry or corporation which hold the knowledge and IP the CCP still values and needs to achieve its strategy goals. These industries and knowledge centers will likely experience a more open and friendly China with “international economic cooperation.”

These are just my thoughts... I really enjoy reading everyone's comments and the prompts. Wish I had subscribed to this newsletter earlier. I pretty much love geopolitics.