In the months following the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, China has launched territorial disputes with India, imposed direct control on Hong Kong, and is generally being much more confrontational with countries with whom they previously had good relations, such as Australia.

China is of course dominated by the C.C.P., but it has been observed that a diversity of thought exists, even if this is not as diverse as in more pluralistic societies. President Xi and his advisors seem to be leading an apparently hawkish approach, but do other factions/schools-of-thought have different opinions?