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Pessimism still rules. Even if it was the case, just means China taking the rest of the world down or out with it.
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https://youtu.be/I30A5Z63Uyk

VIDEO EXCERPTS: China has at least five serious problems [...] problem number one demographics [...] problem number two lack of innovation [...] third problem is that China's growth has been disproportionately funded by debt [...] military problems [...] problem number five dictatorship.

Underlying all of these other problems is the biggest one of all: China is a one-party dictatorship. While fools like Thomas Friedman in New York Times write that quote "China's one-party autocracy can impose the important policies needed to move a society forward", the reality is the reverse. Because the dictatorship is the blend all, it can't allow the freedom and innovation necessary to grow the country and fix its problem. Instead dictator Xi Jinping, in an attempt to enshrine his own power, has doubled down seeking more economic control, more autarchy, greater militarism, more carbon-based fossil fuels, to push manufacturing growth.

China is in very serious trouble. Does this mean that China is going to break apart into a million policies? No, but it means that the current regime is on shaky footing, and that means they are likely to get very aggressive in the near term in an attempt to shore up their foundation. Because if they don't that collapse is going to happen sooner rather than later.

Despite what you're told, China is dying

Goes with the #2 "lack of innovation problem" above, and stealing or sabotaging to make up for it.
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United States authorities warn SpaceX among companies targeted by espionage sfforts
https://www.redorbit.com/united-states-a...e-efforts/

INTRO: According to an advisory published by the National Counterintelligence and Security Center, the FBI and the Air Force, SpaceX and Blue Origin could be targets for espionage efforts by China and Russia. “They see US space-related innovation and assets as potential threats as well as valuable opportunities to acquire vital technologies and expertise,” the advisory says... (MORE - details)

(Aug 21, 2023 01:04 AM)C C Wrote: [ -> ]United States authorities warn SpaceX among companies targeted by espionage sfforts
https://www.redorbit.com/united-states-a...e-efforts/

INTRO: According to an advisory published by the National Counterintelligence and Security Center, the FBI and the Air Force, SpaceX and Blue Origin could be targets for espionage efforts by China and Russia. “They see US space-related innovation and assets as potential threats as well as valuable opportunities to acquire vital technologies and expertise,” the advisory says... (MORE - details)

It's widely assumed by the space-nut community that China already has all of the contents of SpaceX's computers in Hawthorne, including all of the engineering drawings for Starship.

Here's China's proposed Long March 10 rocket. It looks suspiciously similar to Falcon Heavy,



And here's China's even more ambitious Long March 9, a giant reusable rocket pretty clearly inspired by SpaceX's Starship. This one isn't expected to be operational until the 2030's, when China plans to use it to build Moon bases.

China (apparently) has a debt problem.

Quote:The United States [the taxpayer?] pays interest on approximately $850 billion in debt held by the People’s Republic of China.

So it looks like every American owes China about $3,000.

On the other hand

Quote: Before 1949, the government of the Republic of China (ROC) issued a large volume of long-term sovereign gold-denominated bonds, secured by Chinese tax revenues, to private investors and governments.. A private group of American citizens [some 20,000 bondholders] holds .. [bonds] valued at well more than $1 trillion.

So it looks like China owes 20,000 Americans an average of about $50M which adds up to rather more than the average American owes to China.

But

China seems to have defaulted on paying interest to the private investors.

Whereas America [the taxpayer?] continues to pay interest on the debt owed to China.

From the Chinese POV this must look more like a solution than a problem.
More info:
https://thehill.com/opinion/internationa...repayment/