‘Bombard the headquarters!’ That was the slogan that helped launch China’s Cultural Revolution in 1966 – and it offers a glimpse into what that revolution actually was: an implicit contract between Mao Zedong, recently sidelined from day-to-day leadership, and his grassroots supporters – mostly in the form of young Red Guards – to burn down everything in between them and rebuild the country from its ashes.
If Trump wants an economy like China’s, he’ll need a revolution
In calling for fewer imports, more exports and less consumption, the US president sounds like Xi Jinping. But are Americans willing to make the necessary sacrifices, wonders David Lubin.
The World Today
Published 9 June 2025
Updated 4 September 2025 — 4 minute READ
Image — President Xi and President Trump meet during the G20 Summit in Osaka in 2019. Trump's economic strategy during his second term aims to challenge China's global manufacturing dominance. Photo: Brendan Smialowski/ AFP via Getty Images.
