Donald Trump faces global scrutiny. Xi Jinping confronts internal challenges. Purges within China's military raise concerns about loyalty. Key generals have disappeared. Xi aims for a fourth term in 2027.

China’s manufacturing engine is sputtering, with new data revealing the most severe hit to China’s economy since the COVID shutdown. The country’s economy slipped from growth to contraction after the Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) fell below 50 in April.