News that China’s population is declining — for the third year in a row, with no sign of a turnaround — is best seen as a leading indicator of the failure of the communist regime. “China is staring down a longer term baby bust that is rippling through the economy,” is how the Times puts it. The shrinking population, which telegraphs future weakness, is all the more jarring for coming at a time when Beijing is ramping up its global ambitions.