But Changxing Island shows it is more realistic to expect another path—namely, that other countries will find it ever harder to displace China in global supply chains. This story could be told about almost any kind of factory or locale in China,

Chinas economy is grappling with intensifying challenges as mounting debt, persistent deflation, and an aging population weigh heavily on growth and confidence, according to a recent report by Yardeni Research.

Every year or so, the country's highest political body, the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, convenes for a week of meetings, also known as a Plenum. What it decides at this one will eventually form the basis of China's next Five Year Plan - the blueprint that the world's second largest economy will follow between 2026 and 2030.

President Donald Trump and Chinese president Xi Jinping have begun what is expected to be three to four hours of high-stakes ,in-person talks in hopes of lowering the temperature of a simmering trade war that has threatened to boil over and upend the global economy.

Beijing used bare-knuckle tactics in a multidecade effort to consolidate control over supplies.

China's development roadmap for the next five years has begun to emerge following the conclusion of a key Party meeting on Thursday, with fresh policy pledges poised to reaffirm the country as a crucial anchor of stability and source of opportunities for the global economy.

China's attempt to control rare earth minerals has failed. The United States and its allies are now finding new sources. This move has united Western nations against China's economic pressure. China's influence over rare earths is expected to decrease significantly in the coming months.

Family size around the world is dropping. That choice by couples is triggering a population shift that's sending shock waves through economies.