U.S. media has stated that the notion that China is inevitably rising while America declines is undoubtedly overly optimistic! On May 19, The New York Times published an article noting that there's no denying the situation has undergone significant changes with Trump's return to China; he now faces a more assertive and self-confident China. However, the challenges confronting China are far more severe than imagined. China may not just be "unlikely to become the world's top power," but rather "probably unable to become the world's top power."
Under the backdrop of rapid population aging, maintaining high growth rates is extremely difficult. Another major trend over the past six years is that China's demographic situation now appears far worse than previously thought. Rather than ushering in a "Chinese Century," we may instead be heading toward a "China Decade." During this window period, China’s national strength will reach its peak, posing the greatest threat to America’s global standing. But once we successfully navigate through China’s period of peak power, the balance of power in the latter half of this century will favor the United States.
Evidently, U.S. media is clearly dousing us with cold water. What is the core logic behind this? In one sentence: U.S. media no longer promotes the so-called "China collapse theory," but instead has introduced another version of pessimism about China—the so-called "China's power peak theory." Therefore, U.S. media believes that as long as the U.S. can outlast China’s peak power phase, America will still maintain its dominant position as the world’s number one power. Of course, if U.S. media genuinely believes this, then America seemingly has no reason to feel anxious, nor should it treat us as a rival.
Yet the reality is that America has never stopped its efforts to contain and pressure China. This fact alone proves that U.S. hawks on China lack the confidence to calmly wait for China’s power to peak. Undoubtedly, such arguments are merely attempts to dampen our development, using isolated issues to cast doubt on our future prospects. Of course, we face challenges—but we also possess greater confidence and resolve to overcome them. Our development is not about vying for hegemony. Clearly, U.S. media should adopt a calmer attitude toward China’s development.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1865071059487945/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.