China's President Xi Jinping has silenced prominent economist Gao Shanwen after he raised doubts about the reliability of official GDP data and Beijing’s ability to help bolster economic growth, The Wall Street Journal reported,

Gao Shanwen questioned Beijing’s ability to boost its economy as threats loom from a property meltdown and burgeoning debt.

The analysis reportedly angered President Xi Jinping, who has pledged more proactive measures to stir China's stagnant economy.

The transatlantic alliance reached a milestone in 2024 when all non-U.S. NATO allies spent the 2% target on average for the first time.

President-elect Donald Trump said NATO nations should spend the equivalent of 5% of their economic output on defense, ramping up his demands on European allies to more than double the current target.