China manifests a striking paradox. It is among the world’s most dynamic technological powers, producing breakthroughs in AI, electric vehicles, and advanced manufacturing at an accelerating pace, yet economic growth continues to slow. The reason is no mystery. As the government’s latest Five-Year Plan (2026-30) recognizes, China is experiencing a structural transition, not a cyclical slowdown. The old model is giving way to a new one, which has yet to take hold.

As missiles, bombs, and drones fly across the Persian Gulf, the prospects of an even more devastating war in the Pacific are strengthening. De-escalation of the new cold war between the United States and China must now become the world’s top priority. To that end, it is essential to explode a powerful myth that makes war more likely: the idea that China has cheated its way to prosperity.

Advanced technologies, especially artificial intelligence (AI), semiconductors, and quantum computing, have emerged at the heart of most nations’ national strategic planning. China also developed national plans for technological breakthroughs. However, unlike most other countries, China’s current plans are heavily influenced by unprecedented US export curbs on acquiring technology. These steep and targeted export curbs are intended to prevent China from acquiring high technologies to maintain the US monopoly. They started during the first term of US President Donald Trump (2017-2021), continued during the Biden administration, and intensified since Trump’s second term.

A look at the past illuminates the way forward for China and the United States. The wartime sacrifices of millions, the heroism of Chinese and American allies and the indomitable hope for peace are not ghosts but stars pointing the way forward.

The parade, which served as both a strategic warning to would-be aggressors and an implicit commitment to peace, conveyed a clear message to the world about historical justice, the current state of the postwar international order and the future direction of world peace and development.

China’s economic struggles have implications for its trading partners across the globe, notably in Europe. What can Beijing’s fight against ‘involution’ tell the world about its future trading prospects?

With the country at a critical economic crossroads, the Chinese government’s carefully calibrated policy adjustments provide a solid foundation for future growth. The economy is expected to gain strength, as domestic development and global confidence are both addressed through clear-eyed assessments of deep-seated challenges.

Chinese-style modernization is an important reference for other emerging countries. It will not alienate the human dimension, and it will not destroy traditional culture. Rather, it aims to develop a new form of human civilization through international cooperation.

Peaceful development and capacity building are the two cornerstones of China’s philosophy, and the panda movie provides an apt analogy. Under the rules of the jungle, the panda, which is docile by nature and non-aggressive, wants to live in harmony with other animals.

China’s international strategy is laid out clearly in the political report to the 20th National Congress of the CPC. It unambiguously states what China upholds and highlights what it opposes, reflecting a firmer stance and greater confidence in Chinese diplomacy.