Where China Is Winning—and Losing—in the World

The postwar world order is over. Not weakening. Not evolving. Over.

Two men chat outside office buildings in the central business district in Beijing on March 4, 2026. Greg Baker/AFP via Getty Images

Commentary

The year 2025 marked the expiration of the global order designed by the victorious Western Allies after World War II—built on geopolitical stability anchored by American leadership, industrial progress, and globalization. The global trading system as we have known it is dead. The World Trade Organization (WTO) has effectively ceased to function, proving itself unable to negotiate, monitor, or enforce member commitments and governing rules.