Xi in Hunan; Xinjiang; TikTok; United Front; Fish and pangolins

The TikTok saga is giving me getting flashbacks to the more breathless bits of the US-China trade negotiations. Reports are converging on the structure of a deal but it is not just President Trump who has to approve any deal. Bytedance has said Beijing does as well, and some of the reported details make me wonder why General Secretary Xi would sign off on it, assuming it rises to his level which, given that Trump is the decider on the US side, I think it will. 

We should know the answer soon, perhaps in time for tomorrow’s open thread.

Xi has been visiting Hunan the last couple of days, in what may be his last inspection tour before the Fifth Plenum in October. 

We are still waiting for the full propaganda rollout for Xi’s tour but some of the key themes look to be the “usual suspects”:

• Ending absolute poverty by the end of this year;
  

• Celebrating Red revolutionary roots;
  

• Technological innovation and upgrading and advanced manufacturing;
  

• Political and ideological work;
  

• Celebrating Chinese hist…