The Party Endures: China and the World in 2016

Editor’s Note: Over the coming days, The Cipher Brief presents some of our most incisive coverage on key issues of 2016 and a look ahead at what is yet to come in 2017.

The oppressive smog that overtook China in late December covered 3.9 million square miles, put 24 cities at their highest alert level, and forced thousands of factories to shut down until the toxic cloud dissipates. Events such as this, which pose risks to public health and economic output, are increasingly common, and highlight the costs of China’s growth and the challenges of sustaining its global rise.