INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
SHANGHAI - There have been numerous misconceptions circulating about Americas power for many years.The prowess of American power remained
in some method existential, but the misconceptions were something that had actually been largely constructed
The myths of Americas financial, technological, and political power and security defense were amongst these
However the recent years have seen all four misconceptions have actually been shattered across the world
And there is no factor that the United States is not declining.First American financial power was shattered The United States used to be
the single most important economy worldwide, both in terms of quantity and quality
In 2001, the GDPs of the United States , Japan, and China were respectively, 10.58 trillion, 4.37 trillion, and 1.34 trillion dollars, and
the United States GDP was 2.4 times that of Japan, the second, and 7.9 times that of China
The United States was then considered as the single most important power engine of the international economy.But things have actually
changed rapidly in the last twenty years
According to data, in 2024, the United States GDP, which was about 29.2 trillion dollars, took up 30% of the world total while that of
China was 18.5 trillion dollars, 63 percent that of the United States Though the United States would remain the biggest economy for the
years to come, yet it had actually been Chinas economy that had added to 30% of international economic growth in spite of difficulties in
the last few years in contrast to Americas 12-15%
China has actually remained the largest trader for 8 consecutive years, and the biggest trade partner for the biggest number of partners.For
many years, the United States , together with European nations, had monopolized exports of products of high added value, high innovation
contents, or high brand values
However things have actually altered in recent years as the world discovered nations, including China, had actually taken up a substantial
proportion of the worldwide market in locations needing sophisticated innovations, such as telecommunication centers, solar panels and
electrical lorries, and numerous other advanced items
The most current choice of Trump to launch mutual tariffs would even more separate the United States as an island worldwide defined by
And it is extensively thought that such a policy will not serve to restore United States markets; rather, it will accelerate the decrease
of United States economic impact
Americas contribution to the worldwide economy will further shrink, and its status as a financial power will predictably be weakened.In one
word, the worldwide financial landscape was changing in an amazing method, and the reality was out there that the United States was losing
its benefit in both quantity and quality
The United States is no longer the largest power engine of the global economy, and the myth of its economic power is fading.Second was the
misconception of technological powerThe United States was considered the most crucial center of technological innovation for many years
It had actually been leading the world in innovation in nearly all areas, consisting of telecommunication, internet software and hardware,
energy, biotechnology and military innovation at the beginning of the new century.But since the early second ten years, the United States
has actually slowly lost its advantages, consisting of in interaction innovation
Chinas Huawei began the fifth-generation technology research study in 2009 and has actually been leading the industry considering that the
middle of the second ten years of the new century
And the United States discovered that it could no longer monopolize innovations in communication, photovoltaic panels, UAVs, electrical
cars, and stealth aircraft.A number of years earlier, Americans believed that so long as it managed the source of innovative chips, it would
be able to outcompete China in AI technology and industry, as it was thought that advanced chips were a precondition for the advancement of
But the story of DeepSeek in early 2025 showed that China currently exceeded the United States in some areas even without innovative chips,
though China is progressing significantly in chip technology.The United States might still take pleasure in some benefits in innovation,
however its monopoly has actually been broken
That indicates the world can survive without United States technologies and maybe live better lives.Third was political power specified by
Western political liberalismFrancis Fukuyama used to argue that the endpoint of mankinds ideological evolution and the universalization of
Western liberal democracy was the last type of human federal government
In spite of challenges throughout the world versus the argument, the model of Western political liberalism has actually been commonly
enshrined for many years throughout the world
But history showed that none of these duplications had succeeded, whether they were passive ones like Afghanistan and Iraq or semi-active
ones by color revolutions.Ironically, the last decade witnessed extremely serious political chaos in the United States as a result of the
so-called liberal democracy
The check-and-balance approach had actually developed into a pure political instrument, bargaining for the political interests of factions
instead of guaranteeing affordable usage of nationwide resources
The same approach likewise made the United States government stagnate as a result of confrontations between political factions, and the
regular shutdowns of the government are simply one example.The elections of the United States utilized to be considered symbols of Western
Ironically, the failure of Trumps election in 2020 resulted in violence on Capitol Hill riots rather of liberty pursued by normal Americans,
while the success of Trumps election in 2024 produced fanaticism in United States domestic politics, developing concerns not only in the
world however likewise at home
It was likewise crystal clear that various elections had been controlled by lobbyists unreasonably supporting the interests of a particular
foreign country.Intervention for humanitarian issues had long been considered another symbol of political liberalism
For several years, the United States had actually been waving the banner of intervention in the name of protecting humanism
However the current case of the United States position on the Palestine problem has completely shown the hypocritical nature of the
The United States had actually provided political shelter and military help for Israels atrocities on the territories designated to
Palestinians in the UN General Assembly resolution 181
All these taken place without regard to the humanitarian catastrophe in Palestine.To put it another method, the so-called American political
liberalism has actually made its domestic politics unbelievably disorderly and exposed to the world its political hypocrisy.Fourth was
American security protectionThere used to be a strong belief amongst some nations that the United States might offer security umbrellas
In the Persian Gulf area, such a belief had actually been strengthened by the military operations led by the United States to drive Saddam
Hussein back to Iraq in the early 1990s
But the countries had actually awakened to the truth that the United States failed to measure up to its security dedications in 2019
Some Palestinians thought that they could depend upon the United States for their liberation and or protection of their security
Nevertheless, the exceptionally biased technique of the United States only increased their desperation.The most typical example should be
The United States , under Bidens presidency, sent really strong signals of security protection for Ukraine
It was mostly due to such signals that Ukraine declined a political option to the conflict at the very beginning of 2022
Unfortunately, the year 2025, throughout Trumps presidency, the United States broke its security protection, which turned over an exactly
opposite page for the Ukraine problem, leaving Ukraine in anxiety and loss of direction.Lessons of the Middle East are major, while the
lesson of Ukraine is even bitter
The United States itself is deconstructing the myth of its security defense, though impressions might exist in some other locations, like
the Asia-Pacific for the United States In one word, it might be true that the United States was a frightening, enormous power, with which
various misconceptions of its power had formed
Something built can be similarly deconstructed
Misconceptions of American power are there mainly by construction and are being deconstructed with the death of time and history
And Americans themselves, consisting of Donald Trump, are in fact part of the worldwide efforts of such deconstruction
There is no factor that the United States will not decline.By Dr
Jin Liangxiang is a Senior Fellow of Shanghai Institutes for International Studies
