, Columnist
Reality Check: How Influential Is China Right Now?
China looms large in the global-superpower discussion, but it’s not nearly as powerful as its leaders would like you to think.
Sometimes a red flag … is just a red flag.
Photographer: Timothy A. Clary/AFP via Getty Images
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How worried are you about China?
Admittedly, it’s a rather nebulous question. Are we talking about China’s global alliances (or attempts to create them)? Are people afraid of its economic power and potential, or its influence as a military and technological force? What do increased tensions between China and Taiwan mean for national security? And what about America’s hottest app, TikTok?