actually the command economy has finally caught up with them. Look at the chicom export numbers and admitted loss of over 3 million jobs in the last year. Then factor in their 320%ish debt to gdp ratio and rising labor costs and what you see is a country struggling to keep it together. If you need further actual proof look at the dry tonnage numbers leaving from china, both in total tons and price.
They are starting to scale back the silk road initiative, slow blue water naval ship construction and are seeing push back from all their neighbors. If they were confident Hong Kong would have been over months ago. Their reckless over confidence has produced a similar effect to OPEC’s reckless overconfidence. We now have a company “mining” lithium from recovered fracking fluid. China doesn’t innovate they steal. They don’t count on USA reactions and innovations to counter their stupidity.
“China doesn’t innovate they steal.”
You Sir are 100% correct. And that is their Achilles heel. If an actual war with China ever broke out, security on everything, but especially on military projects would suddenly be increased exponentially and China would be mostly cutoff from the high tech military stuff they steal, and their over bureaucratic system severely limits their ability to innovate as effectively, quickly and efficiently as the Western Allies do. And that would be a huge strategic advantage for the West.