At China's 19th Party Congress, the rest of the world's eyes and ears were fixed on how president Xi Jinping described China's role in the global order and his

The power of America’s example has been eroded at home by both the far left and the far right. For its own sake, as well as for the rest of the world, that example must endure.

China's 19th Party Congress has finally wrapped up and the much anticipated new leadership was announced. Xi Jinping has been very much the focus of coverage in

Media attention on the 19th CCP Congress has focused on the changes Xi Jinping announced. But also important are the things he said haven’t changed.

Only two previous Chinese leaders, Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping, have had their personally branded ideology enshrined in the CPC’s charter. Though there is a paradox: though the CPC’s internal power dynamics haven’t change much in the last few decades, Chinese society has moved far beyond the Maoist or even the Dengist era. Few Chinese, including members of the party, genuinely believe in any official doctrine. Economically, the private sector accounts for more than 60% of China’s output, and the CPC has become practically irrelevant in the daily lives of ordinary Chinese.

Jinping has started his second term by announcing a new era in Chinese politics, and evidently part of the new era is to leave open the question of his successor in 2022. No one on the new PBSC is young enough to meet the age requirement for successor, though there are several possibilities in the full Politburo. Does this mean that Xi plans to break precedent and take a third term himself?

What is the overarching trend of Xi Jinping’s appointments? Put simply, the technocrats are back and have taken over key positions in China’s economic development strategy. But this time they no longer come from traditional industries such as the petroleum or mechanical engineering, but from high-tech industries or the so-called strategic new industries.

On October 12th, the U.S. announced its retreat from the UN's world heritage body, UNESCO. Since Trump took office, the United States has already announced its withdrawal from the Trans Pacific Partnership and the Paris climate agreement. Given the expansiveness of this series of exits, the fundamental reason for America’s pull-out from UNESCO is likely not due to its purported dissatisfaction with UNESCO’s mechanisms, but deep-seated isolationism in American culture.

The 19th CCP Congress sets the stage for a strong, modern, and assertive China.

On Wednesday, President Xi Jinping opened the twice-per-decade Communist Party Congress with a 3.5 hour speech that had "something for everyone" – includ