Can’t speak for the above. However, I came across the following in a number of news reports. In the last couple of years, China seem to have removed many of the saber rattlers in the army and the wolf warriors among its diplomats. Is China reining back the hawks in the military and among the diplomats to avoid a conflict? Or, are they replacing the hawks with others in preparation for a conflict?
https://www.reuters.com/world/china/chinas-xi-says-army-faces-deep-seated-problems-anti-corruption-drive-2024-06-19/
China's Xi says army faces 'deep-seated' problems in anti-corruption drive
China's President Xi Jinping said there were "deep-seated problems" in the Chinese military's politics, ideology, work style and discipline, state-run CCTV reported Wednesday, amid an ongoing military anti-corruption purge.
"There must be no hiding place for corrupt elements in the army," Xi was quoted as saying at a military political work conference this week in the northwestern city of Yanan, the founding stronghold of the Chinese Communist Party.