Kathrine Frich
The changing dynamic has clearly emboldened Chinese leadership.
When the global balance of power shifts, it rarely happens overnight.
Yet sometimes, unexpected political choices can speed up a process that usually takes decades to unfold. It seems one world power is quietly thanking its biggest rival.
A surprising advantage
Beijing has watched American politics closely over the past few years. Leaders there see a clear opening. This insight comes from journalist Evan Osnos, who recently appeared on NPR’s Fresh Air.
Speaking with host Terry Gross, Osnos discussed his latest reporting for The New Yorker on the fierce technology race between the United States and China.
He explained that Chinese leadership actively prepared for aggressive trade policies during Donald Trump’s presidency. Instead of folding under heavy tariffs, Chinese companies simply automated their factories to drive down costs.
Hastening the twilight
This strategic preparation has created massive confidence in Beijing. Osnos noted that a state-approved Chinese think tank even published a report earlier this year titled “Thank Trump,” which outlined this exact dynamic.
The document boldly claimed that the American president was actually speeding up the downfall of his own country.
According to Osnos, the report stated that Trump is “hastening the twilight of an empire” by alienating international allies and attacking vital domestic institutions. The authors specifically pointed to his battles against independent civil servants and leading scientific universities.
A massive opportunity
Chinese officials view this American retreat from global leadership as a rare gift. President Xi Jinping has even described the current geopolitical climate as an opportunity unseen in centuries.
While the US government pulls funding from basic science and biotech research, China is pouring massive resources into those exact fields. They are already dominating the global production of electric vehicles and solar cells.
American military distractions also play a huge role. Osnos pointed out that the US has had to pull critical assets out of Asia to deal with conflicts in the Middle East.
Because of this heavy reliance on foreign manufacturing, Washington now depends on Chinese factories for the raw materials needed to build American weapons.
Sources: NPR’s Fresh Air, The New Yorker
