Apologies for the late newsletter, like much of America I have been riveted by the Kavanaugh-Ford hearings. 

Today's important China-related developments include:

• On the third day of his Dongbei tour Xi stressed the importance of and support for both SOEs and private enterprises;

• President Trump has said he and Xi may not be friends anymore;

• Trump's charges of Chinese interference in US elections look to be part of the rollout of a broader public campaign against Chinese activities that target US interests;

• China's role as key supplier in American's opioid crisis is getting more media and Congressional attention;

• The propaganda system is pushing the “six stabilities” – employment, finance, foreign trade, foreign investment, investment, expectations (六稳 – 就业，金融，外贸，外资，投资，预期) – to stabilize society in the face of the trade war.

Yesterday's "Essential Eight" included the Global Times story New CPC rules to expel members who express support for bourgeois liberalization online. I should have noted…