Hong Kong, Sept. 15 -- Chairman Xi Jinping has set China on an undeviating course, and that trajectory involves the Asian country displacing the USA's dominance both in the region and globally. There are questions over whether China will be able to achieve that, and whether it will result in overt armed combat.

China has a clear vision for the future political and international order, one it is patiently implementing. Beijing says it wants power reapportioned away from liberal democracies and hegemonies to a more equal distribution. That is the narrative, anyway.

However, just as the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) cannot tolerate devolving power to its own people, China views itself as the rightful heir to global influence and power. It ...