They need to cause: Division division division.
Any way possible.
Stop falling for tabloid, People magazine level bullshit.
I think it is exactly what you say,
and that much of it is motivated by an eventual presentation to the domestic CCP China audience, so that they feel the rest of the world is suffering (if America is suffering that bad, then the rest of the world must be, too… )and is in decline.
IDK. Just a thought.