Xi is acting from a position of weakness

The great chairman embarks on a foreign tour – and the world is listening. Xi Jinping has not left his empire for almost three years due to the pandemic. China has since become a different country. Ditto for the party leader himself: Xi is traveling from a position of weakness — and that’s a first.

This year, the People’s Republic will grow by just over three percent, roughly at the same pace as the global economy. That hasn’t happened in decades. It is a turning point for an emerging market that has been admired around the world for its breathtaking rise and has impressed for years with double-digit growth rates.