China Social Science Network (June 22) reproduced an article by Zhou Li, a former Deputy Minister of the CCP’s International Liaison Department (now called the International Department), entitled, “Proactively Responding to Changes in the External Environment” and published the same day (June 22) in the China Social Science News magazine brought out by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS). The article laid out six changes for which China should be prepared. These are: i) The deterioration of Sino-US relations and the full escalation of conflict; ii) A decrease in external demand and the disruption of industrial supply chains; iii) Adjusting to the new norms under COVID 19 and the long-term coexistence of viruses and humans; iv) Detaching from the dominance of the dollar and disconnecting the Chinese Yuan from the dollar; v) The outbreak of the global food crisis, and vi) The resurgence of international counter-terrorism forces. Asserting that China is facing unprecedented challenges, the article quoted Xi Jinping’s speech in which he stated that the CCP must “adhere to bottom-line thinking and be mentally and physically prepared to deal with changes in the external environment.”