I remember back when Xi first assumed leadership that there were Westoid articles about how he was secretly a liberal reformer. I think one even called him "China's Gorbachev".
Then the CIA classified cables got leaked to media and they had a oh fk moment when he was described as a "redder than red" true believer not vulnerable to corruption. Overnight went to calling him the second coming of Joseph Stalin.
This reminds of when Raul Castro resigned there were a bunch of celebratory liberal puff pieces about how it signaled the end of communism in Cuba. Then they realized the incoming president Diaz-Canel is a Marxist and the liberal rags lost interest
There are subtle clues everywhere if you know where to look. The way he holds his hands, showing off the tip of the thumb on the hand to the LEFT from the observer's point of view. The slight tilting of the head to his LEFT. The way he spent 4 years earning an official doctorate in Marxist ideology from a major university. It's not easy to spot, but it's there!