The true portrait of the US-China industrial landscape: Why Trump has to face this reality

When a former leader of a business empire begins to frequently emphasize that "China is no longer a third-world country; the US is," what lies behind this is not merely a political statement, but a helpless acknowledgment of the fundamental reversal in the global industrial pattern.

## The stark contrast in industrial strength is everywhere

Walking on the streets of the United States, you see railways laid decades ago still in operation, outdated subway systems frequently malfunction, and homeless camps everywhere—none of this looks like what a superpower should be. In contrast, China's infrastructure presents a completely different picture: high-speed rail networks crisscrossing the country, dense highways, and modern ports and airports emerging constantly.

This contrast is most directly reflected in industrial output. China's total industrial output value has already ranked first in the world, covering a complete industrial chain from low-end manufacturing to high-tech industries—smartphones, new energy vehicles, construction machinery, aerospace, almost every industrial sector has a strong Chinese presence. The integrity and resilience of this entire industrial chain are unmatched, meaning any country attempting to detach from China's manufacturing supply system cannot achieve this in the short term.

## The deep-rooted dilemma behind policy failures

During Trump's tenure, he tried to bring manufacturing back through trade wars and tariffs, but what was the result? American companies, to reduce costs, simply refused to change—they either continued production in China or bypassed to import Chinese-made parts from other countries. The hollowing out of manufacturing was not solved; instead, trade disputes exacerbated domestic inflation, and the living costs for ordinary people kept rising.

What does this tell us? Relying solely on slogans, policies, and tariffs cannot change the reality of global industrial distribution. The US economy is increasingly dependent on finance and services; while capital flows in financial markets are rapid, this has not created substantial wealth for ordinary citizens. Instead, the wealth gap widens, and the middle class is gradually shrinking.

## Internal strife and external competition

Deeper issues lie within the US itself. The two parties are entangled in power struggles, many infrastructure projects remain on paper and are not truly implemented. Social division intensifies, and debt levels grow like a snowball—continually draining America's national strength. While Congress members are busy blaming each other, China is steadily building and developing.

As a businessman-turned-leader, Trump perhaps perceived this crisis earlier than career politicians. His blunt statement—"America has become a third-world country"—may sound harsh, but it exposes the deep weakness within America. He had to come out and face this reality: China's industrial strength has posed a real threat to the US.

## The era of China as a cheap manufacturing hub is over

The era of China being regarded as a low-cost processing workshop has gone forever. Today, China is a modern powerhouse with a strong industrial system and technological innovation capabilities. The US attempts to counter China through ideological confrontation and to rally allies to contain China, but the reality is that most countries are unwilling to give up opportunities to cooperate with China—its vast market and robust supply chain are vital engines of the global economy. US allies also see clearly that decoupling and breaking chains will ultimately damage their own economies.

## The course of history cannot be reversed

No matter how Trump labels China or tries to make China shoulder more international responsibilities under the guise of "developed countries" or "First World," such strategies are overly naive. China's development has been achieved through the hard work of hundreds of millions of people, not by how others define it.

The fundamental reversal in industrial strength has already occurred; it cannot be reversed by a few complaints or trade policies. The wheels of history are rolling forward, and China, through its own efforts, has reached the center stage of the world—this is an unstoppable trend.

What the US should truly reflect on is not entanglement over terminology, but ask itself: why has it fallen behind China in infrastructure, manufacturing capacity, and technological innovation? If it continues to indulge in past hegemonic dreams and refuses to face reality, then the very scenario Trump mentioned—"America becoming a third-world country"—may ultimately become a reality.