That is to say, Chinese foreign and economic policies are not based on the revolving doors of domestic politics that the West calls liberal democracy, but on a stable system of power at home (including leadership transitions) that allows Beijing to plan far ahead and avoid sudden shifts in policy that destabilise the rest of the world.
Chinese President Xi Jinping's recent visits to Vietnam, Malaysia and Cambodia made a profoundly simple point: Do not worry, Southeast Asia, because China is here to stay.
Although those visits were probably planned before US President Donald Trump's tariff announcements threatened the global economy, Xi's presence in the three countries offered him a Made-in-America opportunity to reassure Southeast Asian nations that China is a long-term country.
