Beyondperception:ExaminingtheWest’sanxietyinthefaceofChina’sindustrialgrowth_GuangmingOnlineBeyondperception:ExaminingtheWest’sanxietyinthefaceofChina’sindustrialgrowthAerialphototakenonJan.26,2024showstheHengyuanPhotovoltaic(PV)ProjectinYingliTown,ShouguangCityofeastChina'sShandongProvince.(Xinhua/GuoXulei)ByLightBladeRecentpronouncementsbysomeWesternpoliticiansandmediaoutletsregardingChina’sso-called“excesscapacity”reflectgrowinganxieties,notobjectiveeconomicanalysis.TheseclaimsdistortChina’shard-earnedcomparativeadvantagesviaaccusationsof“unfaircompetition”bypaintingChina’shigh-quality,globallybeneficialproductioncapacityasathreattotheworldeconomy.ThisnarrativeisathinlyveiledattempttodiscreditChina’seconomicrise.Itrepresentsanew“cognitivewarfare”beingwagedagainstChina’seconomicmodel.China,however,remainsconfidentinitsdevelopmentpath.SpeculationandunfoundedaccusationswillnotdeterChinafrompursuingitsindustrialtransformationandmodernizationthroughhigh-levelopening-upandhigh-qualitydevelopment.TheWest’srecentrhetoricsurrounding“China’sovercapacity”revealsacomplexinterplayofanxietiesandtheevolvingglobalorder.Theriseofdevelopingnationsandtheirintegrationintotheprocessofeconomicglobalizationchallengesthecenturies-old“center-periphery”modelofindustrialdivisionoflabor.Thismodel,oncesolidifiedbyWesterndominanceinscience,technology,finance,andmilitarypower,nowfacesdisruptionasdevelopingcountriesemergeasnewhubsofmanufacturing,innovation,anddevelopment.TheWest’sanxietiesstemfromaconfluenceoffactors.Theglobalfinancialcapitalhashollowedouttherealeconomyindevelopednationsbyweakeningtheirmanufacturing.Consequently,thenarrativeof“China’sovercapacity”servesasatooltosuppresstechnologicalandindustrialprogressindevelopingcountries,effectivelymaintainingtheWesterngripontheglobalsupplychain.Thisisnotabattleovercapacity,butaclashbetweentheentrenchedinterestsoftheestablishedorderandthedevelopingworld’sstruggleforamoreequitablesystem.Inessence,the“overcapacity”claimisafalsenarrativemaskingtheWest’s“overcapacityinanxiety.”It’stimeforaparadigmshiftthatrecognizestheevolvingstrengthsofdevelopingnationsandfostersamorebalancedglobaleconomiclandscape.Economicglobalizationandmarket-drivendivisionoflaborhavefueledtheprosperityoftheplanet.Traditionally,naturalresourcesdictatedcomparativeadvantagesbetweencountries.However,thespreadoftechnologyataglobalscaleandstrongerstrategiesincertaindevelopingcountriesarechangingtheequation.Newfactorslikeindustrialpolicy,strategicplanning,andinnovationareplayingamoresignificantrole.Bycultivatingtheseadvantagesandstrategicallyintegratingresources,nationscanelevatetheirindustrialandvaluechainsforglobalcompetition.Thisfostersamoreefficientglobaldivisionoflabor,optimizingresourceallocationsandboostingmarketmechanisms.Ultimately,itleadstoamoreefficientglobalproductionsystemandapotentialriseinoverallhumanwell-being.However,historyshowsthateconomiclawscanbedisruptedbypoliticalinterventionthatpotentiallyhindersasmoothtransitiontowardsamoreefficientglobalsystem.Anexhibitorarrangeslithiumbatteryexhibitsduringthe135thsessionoftheChinaImportandExportFairinGuangzhou,southChina'sGuangdongProvince,April15,2024.(Xinhua/LiuDawei)Britain’sonce-unmatchedindustrialdominancewasarelicofthepast.Asnewplayersemerge,theoldindustrialleadershipoftenresortstodesperatemeasures.TheUK’sfranticattemptstomaintainitsroleasglobalindustrialcenterwithpoliticalandmilitarymusclesserveasastarkexample.Similarly,thepost-WWIIerasawtheUSwielditsmilitary,political,andfinancialmighttocurbtheindustrialresurgenceofEuropeandJapan,clingingtoitspositionintheglobaldivisionoflabor.Today,Chinaiscapitalizingonitsinstitutionaladvantages,strategicplanning,andarobustcapacityforlearningandinnovation.ThishasenabledthecountrytoaccumulateacompetitiveedgethatchallengestheUS-ledmonopolyinvariousindustries.WhileChina’sfocusonindustrialadvancementundoubtedlybenefitsglobalprosperity,itthreatensestablishedmonopolies.TheUSrespondedwithprotectionismandveiledcontainmenttacticsinanattempttoderailChina’sindustrialascent.Thenotionof“overcapacity”isnotamarket-drivenconclusion,butacraftednarrativemirroringthedesperateattempttoretainabygoneeraofdominance.China’sascendancyinthe“threenewsectors”–electricvehicles,lithium-ionbatteries,andsolarcells–offershigh-qualityproducts,boostsglobaleconomicgrowth,andpromotespricestability.Thiscompetitiveedge,drivenbystrategicplanningalignedwitheconomiclaws,exemplifiesdevelopingnationsleveragingmarketforcestoleapfrogonindustrialchainsandreshapetheglobaldivisionoflabor.However,anxietiesovermaintainingdominancehaveledtheUnitedStatesandtheWesttocurbChina’sprogressthrough“decoupling”and“breakinguptheglobalsupplychain”,whichstandsinthewayofreasonablerestructuringoftheglobalsupplychain.Itexposestheinherentpoliticizationbeneathwhatseemstobepureeconomicmoves.Unequaleconomicstandingsofcountriesaretheresultofsomecountrieswieldingmilitary,political,financial,andculturalpowertomanipulateanddistortfreemarketadjustments.Theseactionsaimatsolidifying,andevenperpetuating,anunequal“center-periphery”structureoftheglobaleconomy.Apurchaserlearnsaboutanewenergyvehicleduringthe135thsessionoftheChinaImportandExportFairinGuangzhou,southChina'sGuangdongProvince,April15,2024.(Xinhua/LuHanxin)Overthepastfewhundredyears,theWesthasledtheprocessofindustrializationandglobalization,andatthesametimecultivatedanimplicitperceptionthattheWestern-dominatedglobalindustrialdivisionoflaborandinternationaleconomicorderwillremainunchanged.However,China’ssurgingmanufacturingstrengthisdisruptingthislong-heldperception.Itsrisetoaleadingroleinglobalmanufacturingisnotonlyinevitablefromaneconomicperspective,butalsoahistoricaltrendunfoldinginfrontofoureyes.This“breakthrough”shatterstheillusionofWesternsupremacy,pavingthewayforamorebalancedandlessmonopolizedworldeconomy.Inthissense,itmakesacompellingcasefordevelopingnationsseekingself-relianceandchartingtheirownpathstoprosperity.Editor:ZhangJunye,SongLeyong,GaoSaiDisclaimerTheviewsandopinionsexpressedinthisarticlearethoseoftheauthor's,GMW.cnmakesnorepresentationsastoaccuracy,suitability,orvalidityofanyinformationonthissiteandwillnotbeliableforanyerrors,omissions,ordelaysinthisinformation.