How and by what metric? China already has a larger GDP (PPP) than the US. And their economy has approximately doubled every decade for the past 3 decades.
There were worries that Japan would surpass the US and that didn't pan out. But Japan has 1/2 the US population. China has 4x the US population. This is also a big difference vs Russia.
I am sure the US does not want to "accept" a 4x bigger country ever having comparable influence. But does the US really have the power to keep China, another nuclear power, at 1/4 US GDP level forever?
You say accepting this is crazy, but escalating a conflict between two world powers in an attempt to permanently repress one of them seems a bit crazy to me (negotiating for a better trade deal is another matter).
There are plenty of countries that enjoy a high standard of living without being the undisputed #1 economic power. I'm skeptical that the US actually looking out for its own interests necessarily involves a big conflict with China, although I could easily imagine that outcome.
How and by what metric? China already has a larger GDP (PPP) than the US. And their economy has approximately doubled every decade for the past 3 decades.
There were worries that Japan would surpass the US and that didn't pan out. But Japan has 1/2 the US population. China has 4x the US population. This is also a big difference vs Russia.
I am sure the US does not want to "accept" a 4x bigger country ever having comparable influence. But does the US really have the power to keep China, another nuclear power, at 1/4 US GDP level forever?
You say accepting this is crazy, but escalating a conflict between two world powers in an attempt to permanently repress one of them seems a bit crazy to me (negotiating for a better trade deal is another matter).
There are plenty of countries that enjoy a high standard of living without being the undisputed #1 economic power. I'm skeptical that the US actually looking out for its own interests necessarily involves a big conflict with China, although I could easily imagine that outcome.