by notepad0x90 | 2025-04-19 15:29:08+00:00
Chinese leadership is wise enough to know that they don't exist in a vacuum. They don't want the US ruined, they want the US reduced to a powerful and wealthy state, but not a more powerful state than them or their allies. They don't have global domination goals similar to the US.

If you think about it, the US spends enormous amounts on military, trying to protect a world order and economic stability. China is one of the benefactors of this investment. Why should China spend as much as the US when the US can spend it for them? Why should China spend/invest on so many institutions to support their own standard currency like the USD? China is the #1 owner of US bonds,they lose more than any foreign entity if the US economy collapses too quickly.

They just want control over their neighbors and obviously to be a super-power like the US to where they can influence trade partners as they wish. An America that is prosperous economically but neutered diplomatically is ideal for them.

The one thing trump did many aren't noticing too closely is that he dismantled the institutions and organizations built around spreading democracy around the world. I vehemently oppose his reasoning and intent (and just overall everything about this administration), but the result might be for the best in terms of a global balance of power and avoiding wars with China.

Taiwan is a good example and at the core of US/China hostilities, Trump isn't going to defend Taiwan, that's a given. It sucks, but if Taiwan's survival depends on WW3 breaking out if they get invaded, then their situation is already untenable. I'm convinced China will regain full control over Taiwan by the end of this decade, and without any military conflict. If the US will stay out of regional power grabs and conflicts (the Vietnam war was caused by the US trying to stop China in this regard), then I suspect there could actually be a possibility for peaceful relations with China.

Keep in mind that China isn't even competing with the US in most areas, unless the US really does want to bring back a manufacturing industry that will export to the world and compete with the China.

The main reason the US will remain an economic super power is the lack of worker protections in the US and the liberties and luxuries the rich enjoy in the US (business-friendly as they say). China in comparison is very hostile and unstable (look at what they did to their own billionaire last year) to the rich. Sad to say, but because China would rather look out for their own people, the US is still a better place not just for the rich but even for academia (lots of research funding, private uni's that do well,etc..).

Oh, and keep in mind that trump's isolationism will only work if he carriers through with threats of invading other countries. Literally every country except like Russia is turning away from the US on every front. If this was something I was reading in a history book, I would say the collapse of the US as an empire and a nation is being engineered with great efficiency. But I suspect in reality it would be more like reducing the US to the size of Germany in terms of economics and the UK in terms of military.

I hope for and would be impressed if subsequent administrations manage to prevent or even contain he cascading collapse started by this administration. I suspect it takes about 20 years for the military side of things to play out and a full generation cycle (40-50 yrs) for people to start referring to the US empire in the past tense like the USSR?