Ahead of the APEC summit to be held at the end of the month in South Korea, where a meeting is expected between US President Trump and Chinese regime leader Xi Jinping, tensions are rising within the Chinese Communist Party.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessant says that the structure of power in China is "fragile" and that lower-ranking officials may be responsible for the recent unusual economic moves aimed at undermining Xi. Meanwhile, next week a meeting of the Central Committee of the Communist Party is expected to convene to discuss the state of the country's economy and the five-year plan.
At the same time, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio again condemned the Chinese regime for violating religious freedom after dozens of Christian priests and worshippers were arrested by authorities in recent days.
Rubio described the move as an example of the Chinese Communist Party's ongoing attempt to suppress freedom of belief.