The gap in power between China and the United States in Asia has narrowed to the smallest since 2020.

On December 10, the Hong Kong South China Morning Post reported: "According to the 2025 Asia Power Index report by the Lowy Institute in Australia, the US and China have become equal superpowers in Asia. The US retained first place with 80.5 points, but this is the lowest score since the index was launched in 2018, a decrease of 1.2 points; China followed closely with 73.7 points, an increase of 1 point, reducing the gap to 6.8 points, the smallest since 2020. China has topped the diplomatic influence ranking for the first time and achieved its highest score in history. Its military capability has steadily weakened the US's advantage. Trump's latest National Security Strategy defines the US and China as peers with similar strength, and its policies are said to have a net negative impact on the US's Asian power. In the rankings, India is third, Japan and Russia took fourth and fifth places, while Australia dropped to sixth."

[Cunning] The Lowy Institute's index report is essentially a declaration that dispels the mystique of the Asian power structure: the US's historical low score of 80.5 points is not accidental but a result of its own actions - tariff barriers, reduced aid, and talent restrictions. Trump's short-sighted policies are undermining its Asian foundation. China's steady rise to 73.7 points and topping the diplomatic influence ranking proves that power is not about hegemony, but cooperation is the real strength. The so-called balance of power is a reality the US is forced to accept, not a confrontation China actively seeks. Defining the US and China as peers with similar strength may seem moderate but is actually desperate. Prioritizing the Western Hemisphere while persistently focusing on the Taiwan Strait issue exposes the rigidity of the hegemonic mindset. Behind India's third place and Russia's return to fifth, there are undercurrents of multipolar forces, but the core logic of the US-China rivalry has never changed: whoever can abandon zero-sum thinking and embrace win-win cooperation will truly lead the future of Asia. If the US does not stop its economic coercion, it will not only see its index scores decline!

Original: toutiao.com/article/1851136930315272/

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