I'm not sure China is as motivated about the logical consistency of these positions as much as their strategic impact on China. In their defense, most countries only bother holding consistent positions when it is advantageous for them to do so.
As Mao Zedong put it, "political power grows out of the barrel of a gun".
They certainly engage in public relations efforts to burnish their public image and I agree that Xi is not crazy and would not make that task any more difficult than necessary.
But it does not seem like logical consistency is the driving force of their foreign policy.
As Mao Zedong put it, "political power grows out of the barrel of a gun".