China's strongman Xi Jinping has been widely seen as the country's most all-powerful leader since Chairman Mao. However, one China watcher believes President Xi could soon be booted out of office in a coup d'etat by pro-democracy plotters within the government. Roger Garside, author of the book "China Coup: The Great Leap to Freedom" has argued the US needs to get tougher on China in order to help internal opponents of Xi's totalitarian regime.

       Mr Garside told DW News: "This totalitarian dictatorship is outwardly strong but inwardly weak."

       Asked where the main threat to President Xi will come, he replied: "Within the top ranks of the Communist Party.

       "But with an external force acting as well.

       "The US and its allies have got to adopt a more aggressive strategy towards China."

       The author said: "We can't dictate how China is governed.

       "But we can and must engineer events.

       "So that we help those who want to free China to do so."

       "I don't think the outside world has quite...I mean this was greeted with a lot of hostility by Chinese parents in Mainland China."

       "You know not just in Hong Kong where obviously it is a big issue because before now education has been pretty free.

       "But in mainland China, we quoted people obviously not by name, but in mainland China who were saying this is disgusting, 'we do not want my 10-year-old child to be subjected to this kind of nonsense.'

       "So it is not something that is popular with the Chinese people, I don't think at all," added the France 24 Paris Bureau Chief.