As I headed to China’s capital city, the headlines were testament to the tests the country faces internally — and presents internationally — as it tries to build on its remarkable economic, diplomatic and military rise.
“I.M.F. Designates China’s Renminbi Global Currency,” read the Dec. 1 New York Times headline, with the subheadline “Beijing’s Rising Clout” amplifying China’s economic emergence. But right next to that front-page story was a picture of a Beijing bicyclist obscured by smog. The headline “Critical Conditions” suggested the downside of China’s rise. Details