Editor's Note：In recent years, the world has been eager to learn about the evolution of China's national strength. At the invitation of Horizon, a renowned European journal, Wang Wen, Dean of the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies and the School of Global Leadership at Renmin University of China, published a lengthy article titled How China Has Quietly Surpassed the West in its Winter 2026 issue. The article states: "China's rise poses no threat to the United States. Competition should best be seen as a pursuit to outperform oneself, rather than to defeat others — akin to golf or marathon running, not boxing or wrestling."
The article has been widely read across Western academic circles. Its core content is also included in the book New Strategic Opportunities: China and the World Heading for 2035, published by Renmin University of China Press in March 2026. The English original text is presented below.
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How China Is Quietly Outpacing the West
Wang Wen
While the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump doubles down on "America First" and U.S. think tanks propagate the narrative of "Peak China," Beijing is quietly, yet methodically, eclipsing the United States in what Chinese policymakers describe as "comprehensive national strength." This concept—though admittedly somewhat nebulous—encompasses five decisive dimensions: economic development, infrastructure, technological innovation, new energy, and military capabilities.
Beijing harbors no illusions about the current balance of power. It remains acutely aware of enduring American advantages in financial statecraft, cyber-infrastructure, cultural soft power, global military alliances, and the mechanisms of international legal arbitration.
Yet for Washington, comprehending China's steady advancement across these five domains is not merely an academic exercise; it is a strategic imperative. Failure to do so risks catastrophic miscalculation and undermines the effectiveness of America's own national development.
The Reality of Economic Supremacy
Economic power constitutes the bedrock of national competitiveness. The seemingly axiomatic statement that "China is the world's second-largest economy" conceals a more fundamental reality: China's economy has undergone not merely quantitative growth, but a qualitative structural metamorphosis.
By 2025, China's GDP is projected to account for 20 percent of global output (PPP), compared to 15 percent for the United States. This divergence reflects profound price differentials: local services—from transport to healthcare—and basic goods are significantly cheaper in China, implying that the yuan's true purchasing power is systematically undervalued. For instance, a subway ticket in a Chinese metropolis costs roughly one-fifth of its U.S. equivalent; a bottle of Coca-Cola, one-third. PPP filters out these exchange rate distortions to provide a clearer picture of economic scale. By this measure, China is already the world's undisputed economic hegemon.
Furthermore, its manufacturing supremacy is even more pronounced. Since surpassing the United States in 2010, China has expanded its lead to the point where its manufacturing value-added will account for roughly 30 percent of the global total by 2024—exceeding the combined output of the United States, Japan, and Germany. Its crude steel production alone represents over 50 percent of the global total, dwarfing U.S. output by a factor of ten.
Crucially, China is the only nation possessing all industrial sectors classified by the United Nations. This supports a comprehensive domestic supply chain capable of producing everything from the simplest fasteners to complex aerospace systems, fabrics to intelligent robotics. During the pandemic, this self-contained ecosystem mitigated global supply chain disruptions, allowing China to deliver alternatives ranging from raw materials to finished goods while other nations faltered.
Manufacturing contributes approximately 27 percent of China's GDP. The country produces over 70 percent of the world's rare earths and controls 90 percent of the deep-processing technology required to refine them, dominating critical niches such as permanent magnets and hydrogen storage alloys. By contrast, U.S. manufacturing has atrophied to just 11 percent of GDP and remains heavily reliant on imports, rendering current efforts to "reshore" production largely symbolic.
The reach of China's economy is defined by its ubiquity in global trade. Since 2009, China has been the world's largest trader of goods, supported by a highly resilient structure. It serves simultaneously as the "world's factory" and a premier consumer market. Moreover, the composition of Chinese exports has shifted decisively up the value chain—from traditional categories like textiles and furniture to high-tech, high-value-added products, including electric vehicles (EVs), lithium batteries, and photovoltaic equipment.
Today, China is a major trading partner for over 150 countries and regions; the United States holds that distinction for just over 50. The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) spans roughly 150 nations, establishing a network of economic cooperation far more extensive than U.S.-led regional trade pacts. The Chinese economy also demonstrates fiscal resilience: its national debt-to-GDP ratio stands at 77 percent—far lower than the U.S. figure of 132 percent—providing a stable fiscal foundation for sustainable development.
Its momentum is further illustrated by its dominance in high
