The Chinese leader could confront five simultaneous challenges that will determine his nation’s trajectory for the rest of the decade.
Rough seas ahead.
Photographer: Ton Molina/Bloomberg
President Xi Jinping likes to talk about rough seas to describe the risks China will face in the coming years. Luckily for him, he hasn’t encountered such excessive scenarios yet. A two-year economic crisis would likely have hampered his goal of transforming his country into a superpower equivalent to the United States. However, it has managed to navigate an increasingly dark geopolitical landscape without suffering a real calamity.
When Donald Trump returns to the White House, Xi’s luck threatens to run out. It may face five simultaneous demanding situations that will shape China’s trajectory for the rest of the decade.