I have a sneaking suspicion that the Chinese numbers might be correct. Not because Xi Jinping is an honest man, but because the overwrought Chinese response might simply be Xi’s response to the pressures placed on him because of factional rivalries. Why does a quasi-emperor figure like Xi even have any pressures from the ant hill he bestrides? Isn’t he a queen ant, a living god who not only commands unconditional obedience, but the literal worship of the drones who live to kiss his feet and otherwise pay obeisance to His Awesomeness? For a long and complicated explanation, read this entry about the complicated dynamics that belie the surface calm of life at the top in China:
http://freerepublic.com/focus/news/3820772/posts?page=26#26
Indeed. Go big or go home, or better to overreact than under-react. Also, communist China has constantly ruled the nation by campaign or “struggle” so there are benefits to having everyone moving to a campaign you control