AUSTIN – Unusually for a president known for discussing everything under the sun in speeches, extended news conferences and social media posts, Mr Donald Trump has said nothing about the recent stunning developments inside geopolitical rival China.

Mr Trump, who routinely skewers allies and adversaries alike, has this week held forth on unfolding events in Iran, Cuba and Canada. But he has maintained a deafening silence on Chinese President Xi Jinping’s purge of the all-powerful Central Military Commission (CMC), which appears to have weakened Beijing’s posture towards Taiwan in the short term.