over moscow's intentions. number four. chinese leader xi jinping's steel grip on power tightened. >> david, how has president xi been able to cement his hold on power for so long? >> it really sets him up as the undisputed supreme ruler for years to come. >> and with this, an ever more assertive china. 2021 saw sophisticated propaganda campaigns to deflect criticism over allegations of human rights abuses in xinjiang. the arrests of pro-democracy activists and former lawmakers in hong kong, as well as aggressive military maneuvers aimed at taiwan. >> this island is potential flash point for what their president calls a fight between authoritarian china and democratic taiwan, allied with the united states. >> number three. >> protest rallies across russia today in support of detained kremlin opposition activist navalny. >> russia's best-known