Xi Jinping Is Now the World Leader He Wanted to Be, but It Has Come at a Cost

Chinese President Xi Jinping has solidified his position as a formidable global leader, projecting China influence internationally through assertive diplomacy and initiatives like the Belt and Road. This expanded geopolitical stature, however, comes at a significant domestic cost. Internally, China grapples with a struggling economy marked by a property market crisis, record youth unemployment, and the lingering effects of the stringent Zero-COVID policy, alongside a deepening demographic crisis. This dual reality underscores a critical moment in global affairs, as the world navigates the implications of a more powerful yet internally strained China. Xi's policies, from "Common Prosperity" to "Wolf Warrior Diplomacy," reshape international power dynamics, intensify US-China competition, and challenge the existing global economic order, with potential ripple effects on supply chains and trade relationships worldwide.