(India and China on Monday signalled an end, though not yet fully clear, to the three-month-long standoff in Doklam. The Ministry of External Affairs in a statement said the two countries have agreed to an "expeditious disengagement" of troops in the disputed border area. China, on the other hand, claimed the Indian troops have withdrawn, and that the Chinese would continue to patrol the Doklam region. The following piece – originally published on 29 July 2017 – is being republished in the backdrop of this development.)
There is no doubting that President Xi Jinping is less popular in China when compared to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in India. This was my assessment during my recent visit to China.
According to a Chinese observer, Xi is faced with internal resentment on several counts.
One reason is his sweeping anti-graft campaign which has led to the filing of over 1.6 million corruption cases since the campaign began in 2012. The authorities have also imprisoned and suspended top party officials and veterans.
The removal, for the first time, of a sitting member of the Communist Party's top leadership, Sun Zhengcai, dubbed as a potential rival of Xi Jinping, was reflective of the intense power struggle within the party ahead of the forthcoming 19th Party Congress in November.
Notwithstanding Xi being hailed as a “core” leader last year, his dissenters may have grown.
Also Read: How Hindu Nationalist Agenda Is Linked to Doklam Standoff