GCC Rise of Economy in China Implications for The US Essay

The spectacular rise of the Chinese economy is one of the overriding features of 21st-century international politics. China has become the second-largest economy in the world and one of the world’s leading exporters (although both Germany and Japan still export substantially more than China). Indeed, in 2021, the China-U.S. trade surplus hit $676.43 billion, the highest since records started in 1950, up from $523.99 billion in 2020 as exports increased by more than 20% boosted by the post-covid economic recovery. Should US policymakers be concerned about China’s economic growth, particularly given its authoritarian government? Is China likely to overtake the US as the dominant world economy in the foreseeable future? Even if so, is an economically stronger China detrimental to US interests? Should the US change its policies toward China, limiting trade and investment, or continue to pursue a policy of engagement with the hope of incremental change?