5.13.26 Managing a rivalry with Beijing, eradicating leprosy, and courageously engaging the culture

This episode of The World and Everything In It explores multiple global developments, beginning with President Trump's high-stakes summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing, where trade, Taiwan, and U.S.-China rivalry take center stage. Political scientist Hunter Baker analyzes the strategic dynamics, highlighting China's growing confidence and the U.S.'s transactional approach, while also discussing the subtle but pervasive influence operations—like the Arcadia mayor case—that challenge American sovereignty at the local level. The episode then shifts to Sweden’s surprising pivot from social democracy to market reforms, challenging the myth of Sweden as a progressive utopia. In a powerful segment on global health, the show celebrates Chile’s elimination of leprosy, emphasizing the role of medical progress, destigmatization, and Christian compassion in eradicating a centuries-old disease. Finally, the program highlights the Colson Center’s Centurion Fellowship, a training initiative equipping Christians to engage culture from a biblical worldview, with real-world applications in education, medicine, and ministry. The episode closes with a strong critique of the UN’s migration framework, framing border control as an act of national sovereignty rather than xenophobia.