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You asked..."Do you think they could "out cold war" the US, the same way we finally outlasted the Soviets in the 80s?"

Thats a good question!

Right now...its not the same as with Russia. The action is similar...but the effect is not as pronounced.

There is a big difference between our present economy, and the late Soviet Union economy. Russia had to spend a much greater percentage of GDP on military...since their system was so inefficient. Plus Russia had the added burden of internal economic and political pressures from its citizens. Of course...we do have our own internal pressures building too...as with illegal immigration.

Another factor was that traditionally, the US had the best engineers and high tech...which pushed our superiority. As more engineering moves overseas...it will become harder and more expensive to create the latest high tech weapons systems.

The Chinese can weaken us militarily over time, by draining our economy of extra cash reserves...and piling up our debt. It then becomes politically more costly for pols to put money into basic high tech weapons research...as an example... for an advanced missile defense system.

Down the road long term...ten or more years from now...if nothing changes....it WILL be a different ballgame.

The questions are whether China can maintain the same exponential economic and military growth at the same pace for the next ten or twenty years....and what we as a nation are prepared to do when our superiority is threatened.

"The questions are whether China can maintain the same exponential economic and military growth at the same pace for the next ten or twenty years...."

People need to get their mind around the idea that EVERY MEMBER (9 total) of the Chinese elite Politburo Standing Committee is an Engineer (including 6 EE's).
Technological superiority, infrastructure development, and the resulting Military power that it enables, undoubtedly form a core component of their vision for China's future.
China's drive for tech superiority comes streight from the Top.

While clear-cut cases of China surpassing the U.S.
may be 10 or more years down the road based on the current growth rates, IMO a "tipping point" may be much reached much sooner than we can actually measure it.