Part 2/16:
One of the most striking insights from recent geopolitical analysis is China's demographic shift. Over the past 40 years, China transitioned from being roughly 80% rural to 80% urban. This urbanization dramatically altered family sizes, as children in rural farm communities became free labor assets, while in urban settings, they increasingly became expenses. The consequence? China's birth rate plummeted by approximately 75%, dropping below replacement levels around 1985 to 1990. Today, especially in major cities, the birth rate is less than 0.4 children per woman — an unsustainable rate that signals a rapidly aging population and impending population decline.