In a set of speeches published by the Chinese military, President Xi Jinping's unfiltered views on the rise of China and its relationship with the United States have come to light. These speeches offer a new perspective into the leader at the center of the superpower rivalry that is shaping the 21st century.

Xi's speeches, titled "Xi Jinping's Selected Major Statements on National Defense and Military Development," cover his initial years in power from 2012 to February 2016. These reveal a stark contrast between his public reassurances and his private warnings to military officials about the intensifying competition between China and the United States.

While Xi courted tech executives during his first state visit to the United States in 2015 and spoke of peaceful coexistence, behind closed doors, he urged the People's Liberation Army to be prepared for potential conflict. Xi believed that Western powers would never accept the idea of a Communist-led China catching up and potentially surpassing them in global primacy.

The Chinese President expressed concerns that the West would seek to derail China's ascent and topple its Communist Party. He believed that China's growing strength was the most important factor driving a readjustment of the international order, but Western countries would do everything to contain and suppress China's progress.

Despite assuring President Barack Obama that China would not militarize the disputed South China Sea, Xi instructed senior commanders in 2016 to bolster China's presence in the area, expanding its military infrastructure.

As Xi prepares to meet President Joe Biden in California, the question of managing the rivalry between the two powers looms over their relationship. While Xi has been trying to stabilize relations with Washington, he maintains an unchanged judgment of the challenges posed by the United States, alleging that Western countries have implemented all-around containment, encirclement, and suppression of China.

These speeches reflect Xi's worldview, shaped by China's turbulent years as he prepared to assume power. China's rapid growth, coupled with the slowdown in economic reforms and mounting corruption, influenced Xi's belief that a strong China would face backlash from Western rivals seeking to maintain their dominance.

Xi's views also reveal a shared mental map with Russian President Vladimir Putin, as both leaders suspect that the United States is bent on destabilizing their respective countries through insurrections in the name of democracy. Xi referred to these uprisings as "color revolutions."

As Xi sought to strengthen the Communist Party's power and secure China's position in the world, he emphasized the need for an iron-fisted rule and a strong military. Xi initiated significant military reforms, warning that China's military was dangerously backward and needed to innovate to assert its will on the international stage.

Xi's unvarnished speeches highlight the challenges and tensions between China and the United States, setting the stage for discussions as he meets President Biden. With both leaders seeking to stabilize the relationship between the two countries, the ways in which they manage their superpower rivalry will have significant implications for the future global order.