Special to WorldTribune.com

By Willy Lam, East-Asia-Intel.com

Since becoming General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party and commander-in-chief 14 months ago, President Xi Jinping has devoted much of his energy to China’s power projection around the globe.

Compared to his predecessor Hu Jintao, who is noted for his dour and cautious style, Xi has proven to be a more decisive — and Machiavellian — policymaker.

For example, he has used the People’s Liberation Army’s fast-growing naval and air power to hit back at President Barack Obama’s pivot to Asia strategy. And the Chinese supremo has exploited sovereignty disputes with Japan over several islets in the East China Sea to rally China’s legions of young nationalists behind him.

Beijing’s policy toward its only recognized ally in the world — North Korea — however, has been an abject failure. “Boy Emperor” Kim Jong-Un last month executed his uncle and former key advisor Jang Song-Thaek without so much as consulting Beijing.

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