Opinion: Fallout from the coronavirus will only make China's Xi Jinping more powerful

The quarantines and local-level lockdowns put in place to combat the coronavirus outbreak will likely cause Chinese economic output to decline in the first three months of the year -- the first contraction in more than four decades for what was formerly one of the world's fastest-growing economies. Though the extent and duration of the downturn will not be known for several months, it is already becoming clear that Chinese President Xi Jinping will leverage the crisis to further bolster his power as the country's leader as he seeks to return China to what he views as its rightful position as a preeminent global power.

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