Cracks may be starting to show in Xi Jinping's absolute rule over China due to Trump's trade war

Reuters/Damir Sagolj

• The intensifying trade war between China and the US is causing a massive rift within the Communist Party of China (CPC).
• Though Xi has been clamping down on dissent, veteran party members have expressed discontent about China's image and Xi's handling of the trade dispute.
• Several sources close to the government told Reuters that China's strong nationalist branding has only provoked the US and hurt China's economy. 
• Other sources told Japanese daily Sankei Shimbun that several party elders, including Hu Jintao, wrote a letter urging a review of CPC's economic and diplomatic policy in a rare display of reproval. 

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The intensifying trade war between China and the US has caused a massive rift externally, but sources say tension is also rising internally among elite members of the Communist Party of China.

Over the last decade, Xi Jinping has worked diligently to consolidate power and cement his rule over China, claiming control over the country' military and government and cracking down on all forms of political dissent. 

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