Has China lost its way? This question seems absurd. To most outsiders, China seems healthy enough. Its economy may have lost steam, but it is still growing at a pace that many countries can only envy. Politically, China is stable. The government is led by President Xi Jinping, arguably the most powerful leader in the post-Mao era. For all the signs of corruption and power struggles among the ruling elites, the Chinese Communist Party faces no imminent danger.
By comparison, the world's wealthiest democracies are in deep crisis. The rise of Donald Trump, a narcissistic autocrat, is tearing apart American democracy. In Europe, Brexit, the refugee crisis, and unrelenting terrorist attacks have exposed the inner frailties of the European Union and its most powerful member states.
