Shloky continues to chronicle the social unrest generated by China's own economic crisis. The basic deal? With Communist ideology no longer a motivating factor and totalitarian control substantially weaker than the days of Mao, all the current regime has to knit the country together is nationalism and economic progress. Anyone who has seen China's netizens at work knows that flag-waving is never in short supply. But if the economic bargain between the state and its citizens collapses, it's not totally off-base to wonder whether citizens would determine that the regime has forfeited the Mandate of Heaven. The consequences of such a decision (if China's citizens make it), are hard to determine.
Meanwhile, it seems that the regime is investing in an aircraft carrier. It is concurrent with China's gradualist identity to begin to move its maritime forces from coastal defense and Taiwan operations to something more befitting its great power status. The regime's chief priority, however, seems to be internal defense. The People's Armed Police (PAP) is being ramped up as a kind of giant paramilitary force to guarantee stability. We shall see what course their operations will take.
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