MANUFACTURING

Abandoned American shipyard at dusk, a rusted gantry crane reading “American Shipbuilding, Building Our Future” beneath a U.S. flag, with weeds breaking through cracked concrete in the foreground and brightly lit, working Chinese shipyards visible across the water on the far shore

The future has no flag: the U.S.–China rivalry beyond the hype

23/05/202631/05/2026

Every few years, a confident essay declares the U.S.–China rivalry already settled in America’s favor. The claim feels reassuring. It also misreads where real power now grows

Split image showing an American burger, fries, and soda on one side, and China’s Chang’e 6 lunar lander on the moon, symbolizing industrial contras

America’s industrial decline: Wall Street wins, Pentagon loses

04/10/202508/10/2025

While China doubles America’s energy production and builds missiles faster than McDonald’s serves burgers, Washington debates whether financial markets matter more than actual factories that produce real weapons

Container ships docked at Shanghai Yangshan Port during twilight, illustrating China’s robust export infrastructure

China’s first quarter growth: Defying global headwinds

01/05/202507/03/2026

Beijing reports encouraging 5.4% GDP growth despite international economic turbulence, emphasizing domestic resilience while attributing external challenges largely to American trade policies