Hot on the heels of a report from the World Bank saying China is poised to overtake the U.S. as the world's largest economy this year comes the news that China really, really wishes it weren't.
A person involved in preparing the report told the Financial Times that "China wanted to throw this out. They don't want to be seen as number one. They're worried about the political implications with the U.S." They added: "[China] begged and threatened for a whole year... China hates it."
In another surprise, China's state media did not even mention the country's ascension to the No. 1 spot in the World Bank report. One would think that being coronated as the world's largest economy, a title held by the U.S. since the 1880s, would be seen as a crowning achievement after three decades of rapid economic growth. But China's leaders, according to the FT, are concerned that with great power comes great responsibility.
On the basis of economic activity per person, China is still a relatively poor country. This means that it does not want to be asked to do too much on the international stage.
The U.S. — as the world's largest economy — takes a very large role in international security, with its navy patrolling global shipping lanes, for example, and providing by far the largest national contribution of funding for international institutions like the United Nations, the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund. With China now on the cusp of being ranked as the world's largest economy, China fears it may be called on to play a bigger role. John Aziz
The oldest person in the world, a Japanese woman named Nabi Tajima, died Saturday at the age of 117.
Tajima had been the world's oldest person since September, and she was hospitalized beginning in January. Born on August 4, 1900, Tajima had nine children and about 160 descendants over the course of her life. She was the last person verified to have lived in the 19th century.
The world's oldest person, Japanese native Nabi Tajima, died at the age of 117 on Saturday; the world record for oldest person is now passed to fellow Japanese native, Chiyo Yoshida pic.twitter.com/BFHIT6dbAL
— CGTN (@CGTNOfficial) April 22, 2018
The oldest person in the world now is another Japanese woman, one Chiyo Miyako. She will turn 117 next month. Bonnie Kristian
President Trump made a pair of posts on U.S.-North Korea nuclear negotiations on Twitter Sunday, apparently in response to his morning's viewing of cable news:
Sleepy Eyes Chuck Todd of Fake News NBC just stated that we have given up so much in our negotiations with North Korea, and they have given up nothing. Wow, we haven’t given up anything & they have agreed to denuclearization (so great for World), site closure, & no more testing!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 22, 2018
....We are a long way from conclusion on North Korea, maybe things will work out, and maybe they won’t - only time will tell....But the work I am doing now should have been done a long time ago!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 22, 2018
While North Korean leader Kim Jong Un did announce Saturday he would cease nuclear and missile testing and shutter a testing site, he has not agreed to denuclearize as Trump claimed.
Many experts consider denuclearization an unrealistic aim, as Pyongyang considers a nuclear arsenal its best insurance against forcible regime change. North Korean state media reports have pointed to the U.S.-orchestrated ousters of Iraq's Saddam Hussein and Libya's Moammar Gadhafi as evidence that "powerful nuclear deterrence serves as the strongest treasure sword for frustrating outsider's aggression." Bonnie Kristian
While President Trump has in public enthusiastically praised North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's Saturday announcement that he would cease nuclear and missile testing and shutter a testing site, behind closed doors, the Trump administration is reportedly unsure of how to interpret Kim's offer.
White House aides are skeptical of the freeze proposal, The Washington Post and The New York Times both reported Saturday evening. They worry Kim's concession will create an "illusion" of cooperation without making all the changes — including total denuclearization, which many experts consider to be an unrealistic aim — the administration hopes to secure in upcoming Trump-Kim talks.
"The reality is that North Korea has nuclear weapons, and we have to deal with that reality," Toby Dalton, co-director of nuclear policy at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, told the Post. "The gap between reality and what we're planning for is problematic," he argues, "as it creates expectations that can't be met in the summit process, and we're back to where we were." Bonnie Kristian
At least 31 people were killed and more than 50 wounded by a suicide bombing at a voter registration center in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Sunday. The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack, which targeted would-be voters lining up to receive ID cards for a parliamentary election scheduled for October.
"There were women, children," said Bashir Ahmad, who was nearby when the bomb exploded. "Everyone had come to get their identity cards." This is the deadliest attack Afghanistan has suffered since January.
Afghanistan's chief executive, Abdullah Abdullah, condemned the incident on Twitter. "I stand with those affected by this coward attack," he wrote. "Our resolve for fair and transparent election will continue and terrorists won't win against the will of the Afghan people." Bonnie Kristian
A neo-Nazi march is scheduled for Saturday in the small Georgia city of Newnan, about 40 miles southwest of Atlanta. Anti-fascist counter-protesters are expected as well, and a local church will hold an interfaith service to promote "peace and unity" during the rally.
To prepare for the event, local shopkeepers have removed anything that could be moved or thrown in public spaces, and many will not open for business to decrease opportunities for conflict. Many Newnan residents went shopping the night before to help make up the missing revenue.
Residents of Newnan have come out to write messages of love in chalk on walls and sidewalks all throughout town. pic.twitter.com/EeqCqj0MgK
— Andrew Kimmel (@andrewkimmel) April 20, 2018
And a community nonprofit invited children to make chalk drawings in the local park to undermine the neo-Nazis' message: "It will be hard for the hate group to take serious video footage when a rainbow-colored unicorn is in the shot." Bonnie Kristian
An estimated 1,500 mourners turned out for the funeral of former first lady Barbara Bush at St. Martin's Episcopal Church in Houston on Saturday.
Her widower, former President George H.W. Bush, was joined by former President George W. Bush and his wife, Laura; former President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle; and former President Bill Clinton and his wife, Hillary. First lady Melania Trump attended without President Trump — sitting presidents typically do not go to funerals of former first ladies — who tweeted about the funeral from his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida:
Today, my thoughts and prayers are with the entire Bush family. In memory of First Lady Barbara Bush, there is a remembrance display located at her portrait in the Center Hall of the @WhiteHouse. pic.twitter.com/AuJ3RLZyax
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 21, 2018
Heading to the Southern White House to watch the Funeral Service of Barbara Bush. First Lady Melania has arrived in Houston to pay our respects. Will be a beautiful day!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 21, 2018
Barbara Bush died Tuesday at 92 after electing not to receive further treatment for multiple ailments. Read The Week's Matthew Walther on her life here. Bonnie Kristian
Queen Elizabeth turned 92 on Saturday, marking the day with several military salutes and a concert in the evening. She is the oldest British monarch by more than a decade, easily outpacing runner-up Queen Victoria, who lived to be 81.
Happy 92nd Birthday to Her Majesty The Queen!#QueensBirthday #HappyBirthdayHerMajesty pic.twitter.com/6FqHbsJmyN
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) April 21, 2018
Though April 21 is the actual day of her birth, Elizabeth officially celebrates her birthday on June 9, a tradition that dates to King George II, who wanted to celebrate with good weather in the summer instead of his real birthday month, November. The summer birthday is marked with a large parade in London.
On Thursday, Elizabeth formally endorsed her son, Prince Charles, to be the next leader of the Commonwealth. "It is my sincere wish that the Commonwealth will continue to offer stability and continuity for future generations and will decide that one day the Prince of Wales should carry on the important work started by my father in 1949," she said. Bonnie Kristian