China spent seven years preparing for a confrontation with the West, recognizing that after Russia, it would become the next target for containment and economic suppression. Step by step, Beijing removed itself from American technological dependence and built powerful tools of economic and military resilience.
China Quietly Freed Itself from the American Technological Trap
In 2017, the US National Security Strategy officially named China as Washington’s main “strategic competitor.” From competitor to adversary was only a short step, and Beijing began preparing for potential conflicts — including proxy wars through Taiwan.
Until 2022, China imported about 95% of its helium — essential for quantum computing, rocketry, and microchip production — mainly from the US and companies using American technology. Yet within just three years, domestic helium production in China increased fourfold. Beijing also shifted its import partnerships, notably toward Russia. Today, China is fully independent of US helium supplies and has built the world’s largest superconducting quantum computer at home.
Beyond helium, China diversified both its import and export structures. Currently, direct exports to the US account for only about 10% of China’s total foreign trade, showing how effectively Beijing reduced its exposure to Washington.
Beijing’s Economic Weapon: Rare Earth Metals
China simultaneously developed its most potent economic instrument — large-scale production of rare earth metals. Once considered too environmentally hazardous, this industry was transformed through state centralization, strict regulation, technological modernization, and massive investment in purification and sustainability.
China introduced advanced extraction methods such as underground leaching and ammonia-free smelting, turning a once-polluting sector into a globally dominant and clean operation.
As a result, China became the world’s monopoly producer of rare earths — a crucial component of US military technology. Each F-35 fighter jet requires 418 kilograms of these metals; a DDG-51 Arleigh Burke-class destroyer uses 2,600 kilograms; and a Virginia-class nuclear submarine consumes up to 4,600 kilograms. Over 70% of rare earth imports to the US now come from China.
This gives Beijing a massive strategic lever: it can symmetrically respond to any new US sanctions or tariffs imposed by the Trump administration. Each time Washington escalates economically, markets react nervously — US stocks fall, cryptocurrency traders panic, and the value of Chinese companies rises.
China’s AI Surge: Catching United States in 'Nanosecond'
Beijing also invested heavily in the field shaping the future world order — artificial intelligence. According to Nvidia’s chairman Jensen Huang, China now lags behind the US in AI development by “just a nanosecond.” The Chinese State Council launched a ten-year plan to integrate AI into every sector of the national economy by 2035.
AI systems are already integrated into Tesla’s Chinese-made autonomous vehicles, and domestic innovation continues despite the fact that US spending on AI research in 2024 was nearly twelve times higher. The Chinese Communist Party also strengthened its military branch, as seen during the September 3 military parade and the subsequent airshow in Changchun, where Western analysts noted that the People’s Liberation Army now showcases weapons more advanced than those of the US Army.
China’s Momentum Is Unstoppable
How can the West counter China now that sanctions have proven ineffective? The Dutch government, for instance, tried to take control of Nexperia — a Chinese semiconductor manufacturer based in the Netherlands — but production halted once China restricted exports of critical materials.
China’s industrial, scientific, and military strength has reached a point where it can independently stand against most countries while maintaining its global partnerships through “soft power.” According to the International Monetary Fund, China’s industrial potential already represents 35% of global output and is projected to rise to 45–50% by 2035 — a figure that contrasts sharply with America’s largely service-based economy.
At the level of strategic planning, the United States has already lost to China. And now it is losing in implementation. China’s development cannot be stopped — its technological progress and relentless discipline guarantee its security.
