GZERO World Clips

Will China determine the fate of the world?

Will China Determine the Fate of the World? | GZERO World

Who's the most powerful person on the planet right now? Xi Jinping, who just got a third term as boss of China's ruling Communist Party and got all his loyalists appointed to the CCP's top decision-making body. But having so much power comes with big tradeoffs.

Zero-COVID is saving Chinese lives, yet killing the Chinese economy. And Xi is feeling the heat from his increasingly muscular foreign policy.

On GZERO World, Ian Bremmer speaks to Antoine van Agtmael, the investor who coined the term "emerging markets" and knows a thing or two about China. He believes China is now the second largest economy in the world and soon to surpass the largest, the United States.

For van Agtmael, that means a world that'll be "less nice" because the forces of globalization will be weaker. China will lead one power bloc and the US the other.

So, how much will the future of China determine the future of the world?

This interview was featured in a GZERO World episode: Chinese power

More For You

US President Donald Trump participates in an arrival ceremony at Beijing Capital International Airport during his visit to the country, in Beijing, China, on May 13, 2026.
REUTERS/Evan Vucci

Xi Jinping will welcome Donald Trump with lots of pomp and circumstance. The summit, though, will be short on substance.

- YouTube

Ian Bremmer breaks down the complicated reality inside Venezuela after Nicolás Maduro’s removal from power. While the Trump administration sees the operation as a major foreign policy victory, Ian argues the harder challenge is only beginning; turning Venezuela into a stable economy and a representative democracy.

Noam Bettan from Israel with the song "Michelle" are on stage at the 70th Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) during rehearsals for the first semi-final on May 12, 2026, in the Stadthalle.
Jens Büttner/dpa via Reuters Connect

Even Eurovision cannot escape geopolitics, South Africa’s constitutional court opens door to Ramaphosa impeachment vote, Zelensky’s former right-hand man accused in corruption probe