Can't it be both? Xi doesn't have 7m+ rivals, and you know... rivals can be corrupt and should be purged. There's reason wikileaks / CIA analysis on Xi insinuates he's incorruptible by $$$, so who better to lead. Sometimes swamp is filthy and needs cleaning, and sweeping out legacy clique/faction level power structure that CCP had to "put up with" as part of ascendancy, aka power consolidation, is just good 101 good old power politics. Doing it right is how China gets 300+ year stable/rising dynamitic cycles. American wanks about 250 while swamp filthier than ever, and forget power consolidation has built many 250+ year civilizations.

Sometimes systemic, competent purge the political rivals program is gud and what you want. But IMO US too young/stubborn, doesn't have institutional memory of REAL political crisis, nor humility to learn from history.