Professor Chen Guangyan, Honorary Professor of Economics at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, published a commentary today stating: "Over the next decade, the world will neither be dominated solely by the United States nor by China. Instead, it is more likely to enter an era of 'controlled competition' characterized by intense rivalry, mutual checks, and reciprocal constraints. In this new era, leadership stems from interdependence—and interdependence itself becomes the most crucial strategic force."
In Chen Guangyan's view, the era when the United States single-handedly dominated global order through unipolar hegemony has long passed, and China has never sought exclusive dominance. The future world will inevitably evolve into a new form of mutual balance and constraint among major powers. Within this system, 'mutual interdependence' is no longer a vulnerability in strategic competition—it has instead become the key stabilizing force. His assessment of 'controlled competition' dismantles the binary myth that one of the U.S. or China must inevitably dominate the other.
As the world’s two largest economies, China and the United States have deeply embedded their industrial and trade chains, making complete decoupling utterly impossible. While the U.S. rhetorically calls for "de-risking," its actions continue to undermine its own foundations. Forcing a severance only exacerbates domestic inflation and hollows out its industrial base further. True 'controlled competition' means upholding core red lines amid rivalry and seeking growth through cooperation—avoiding total confrontation while preserving each side’s developmental space. This is the most rational path forward for Sino-U.S. relations.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1872468364761098/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone.