US-China rivalry: great powers that don’t make things won’t be great for long

South China Morning PostCenter-RightEN 1 min read 100% complete by Jeffrey WuFebruary 1, 2026 at 10:30 PM
US-China rivalry: great powers that don’t make things won’t be great for long

AI Summary

short article 1 min

The article discusses a shift in the definition of global power, moving from financial dominance to productive strength amid increasing trade fragmentation and protectionism. Leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos expressed concerns about a harsher world order and the dangers of trade wars. The core argument is that a nation's long-term influence depends on its ability to produce tangible goods and infrastructure, including advanced technologies, rather than solely relying on financial prowess. Historically, nations that prioritize financial instruments over expanding productive capacity have struggled to maintain power. The article suggests that the US and China's rivalry will be determined by which nation can best build, supply, and sustain essential systems.

Keywords

us-china rivalry 90% economic power 80% productive strength 80% global trade 70% trade wars 60% protectionism 60% artificial intelligence 50% production capacity 50% financial scale 50% world economic forum 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Negative
Score: -0.30

Source Transparency

Source
South China Morning Post
Political Lean
Center-Right (0.50)
Far LeftCenterFar Right
Classification Confidence
90%

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).