The future as foretold by Xi: Chinese citizens have to brace themselves for tough times, Indians for a more aggressive PLA

In many ways, the 20th Congress of the Communist Party of China has been a somewhat anticlimactic event. Prior to the quinquennial meeting, there was a general sense among scholars and watchers of China that the congress would largely signal political and policy continuity. It has indeed largely reaffirmed the direction in which China was already heading. That said, the past week has shed greater light on what we can expect going ahead.