Now is the time, especially given the Trump Administration’s stance on environment, for China to assume the leadership role with more assertiveness and confidence, be more proactive in working with other nations, and coordinate global actions to curb pollution.

Politically, grabbing one of China’s most well-connected tycoons sends a powerful message to the “tigers” who have so far survived Xi’s anti-corruption drive. However, to destroy the corruption market requires more than the arrest and incarceration of the participants but fundamental economic reform.

The new system evolving in the anti-corruption campaign will not only integrate the existing supervisory bodies and their functions, but extend the scope of the oversight of the CPC’s discipline watchdog from Party members to all public officials. Pilot programs in three very different regions will provide examples for future reforms.

While U.S. President Donald Trump was talking about investing more in coal as a source of energy, China has just announced that it will scrap 85 coal power plants under construction and invest 2.5 trillion yuan ($361 billion) in green energy, largely in response to the public outcry about smog in northern China. China’s move in this direction will further strengthen China’s leadership position in green energy.

In view of Washington and Brussels, much of China’s slowdown could be overcome with the privatization of state-owned enterprises. However, Beijing believes in evidence-backed gradual pragmatism.

While Chinese challenges abound, no one should denigrate the remarkable progress the country has made in recent history. Failure will not be an option for China. The world needs China’s leaders to work at rebalancing their own economy. This will require building better social safety nets and managing the Chinese people’s expectations, hopes and “Chinese Dreams.”

The People’s growing financial and political impact around the globe means that what happens in China matters everywhere. Thus, stability and predictability are important virtues. Yes, as Doug Bandow argues, political opacity is necessary as the interests of the Chinese coincide with those of outsiders.

In 15 years China will have the world’s largest elderly population. By 2050, its working-age population will have declined by 200+ million people. China’s rapidly aging population will have a significant impact on all aspects of China, and constructing a social safety net to meet its needs will be both expensive and complicated.

China’s long history with its concentric cycles of buildup and decay tends to support the notion that the general political outlook is knowable, while the specifics remain indeterminate due to complexity. Nothing short of society-wide endeavor can stem the tide of negative trends and polluting influences. Change, for the better, and for the worse, sets in slowly and incrementally, often beyond immediate perception.

The unspoken trade-off between the Chinese rulers and the ruled seems to be: If our lives improve, then you can remain in power. So far, the Chinese Communist Party has been adept at reading the tealeaves and adapting to the times, and will need to gradually change further as the economy slows down.