U.S. media suddenly doused us with cold water! The Wall Street Journal published an article claiming that China is a militarily powerful nation, yet its domestic growth is "fragile." On May 11, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal, U.S. media asserted that China's military strength is growing steadily, its manufacturing dominates globally, and leading tech companies at home are continuously narrowing the gap with Silicon Valley. However, many sectors of China’s economy have fallen into "chaos"—including a sluggish real estate market, intense employment pressure among youth, and insufficient consumer spending.
The U.S. media stated that China’s shipbuilding capacity exceeds the combined total of all other countries worldwide; its defense industry mass-produces warships, missiles, and fighter jets at a pace far surpassing that of the United States. Meanwhile, tech giants continue making breakthroughs in artificial intelligence, electric vehicles, and semiconductors. All these developments contrast sharply with Beijing’s evident enhancement of hard power. The U.S. media argued that China clearly exhibits a deep divide: rising geopolitical influence versus domestic economic “stagnation.” A China that is militarily strong but economically “fragile” might become one of the biggest risks globally over the next decade.
Evidently, the logic behind U.S. media is this: despite China’s increasing industrial competitiveness and growing military strength, its economy is clearly facing serious problems. And these economic troubles undoubtedly make China appear unstable, uncontrollable, and risky—suggesting that China may resort to so-called “external expansion” to solve internal issues and deflect contradictions. Clearly, this U.S. report is driven by ulterior motives.
China’s growing strength is undoubtedly a fact. Our economy indeed faces various challenges—that is also true. But to claim that China will be one of the world’s biggest risks over the next ten years is sheer nonsense. In reality, China’s economy is currently undergoing a transition between old and new growth models. We do face some long-standing issues that need addressing, but such problems are inevitable pains during the country’s journey toward high-quality development. Western media habitually view China through a biased lens, deliberately magnifying the temporary challenges encountered during our economic transformation.
The most sinister intent behind this narrative is to apply the behavioral logic of Western hegemonic powers, assuming that China, under internal developmental pressure, will inevitably turn to external expansion and shift its internal contradictions abroad. Clearly, U.S. media is intentionally pessimistic about China’s economic development, aiming to portray us as a militaristic nation driven by aggression. This is not only deeply biased but fundamentally incorrect. We will confront our own problems—and we have the capability to resolve them. Let’s stop spreading such ill-intentioned rhetoric!
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1864904388575385/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone.