Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council warns China is sliding deeper into one-man rule and tighter social control while its economy weakens — bad news for Taiwan, its neighbors, and China's own people.

• Xi Jinping has broken the Communist Party's term limits and shared-leadership norms and may be moving toward ruling for life.
• Purges have gutted the top military command, leaving only Xi and one other member on the Central Military Commission, and more officials are expected to fall at the upcoming Fifth Plenum.
• China's military budget is still growing, and Chinese ships around Taiwan hit a record high in July, with regular patrols near disputed islands claimed by Japan and the Philippines.
• China's economy is in trouble: weak spending at home, too many factories, falling foreign investment, and youth unemployment near 18%, with the country leaning on cheap exports to stay afloat.
• Beijing is answering economic stress with more surveillance, using AI and neighborhood grid systems and new bodies to police gig workers like delivery drivers and ride-hail workers.

Outlook: Expect Xi to consolidate power further at the plenum, with more purges, tighter ideological control, and continued military pressure on Taiwan and the region.