While the United States descends into internal chaos and external military adventures, China is silently charting a path to stability.
A delegation of German company CEOs visits the exhibition center of Chongqing International Logistics Park on March 18, 2026.
The 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030), recently adopted during the Two Sessions, is a continuation of the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025), illustrating China’s commitment to a long-term strategic vision.
China has opened its markets to Africa through significant reductions in trade restrictions. It has strengthened exchanges with other countries through the Belt and Road Initiative, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and the expansion of BRICS. It has also developed regional cooperation through the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and its partnerships with ASEAN. The 2025 figures indicate that China has achieved all its growth targets, accessed more markets with more diversified products and increased its international trade during a very difficult year.
If this is true for China, the United States is experiencing a situation of turbulence both domestically and internationally.
Internationally, the United States carried out coordinated strikes against Iran with Israel. They kidnapped the president of Venezuela and his wife. They are pursuing a proxy war aimed at weakening Russia and imposing tariffs on the entire world. They continue to support and supply Israel, despite the International Court of Justice’s declaration of a “plausible genocide” and, in order to avoid investigation, they have sanctioned international judges.
Despite promises and declarations made before the elections, Donald Trump has not ended the wars in Ukraine or Gaza. He threatened to invade Greenland, an autonomous territory under the sovereignty of the Kingdom of Denmark. It bombed Iraq, Nigeria, Somalia and Yemen and threatened Colombia. His secretary of state suggested at the Munich Security Conference that only American influence could bring peace and prosperity to the world.
Domestically, the United States faces an out-of-control national debt of $38.7 trillion. There is a massive Social Security deficit that many experts believe could lead to default as early as 2032. The country has deindustrialized and is moving toward increased reliance on products made in the Global South. The strategies of “relocation” and “friend-shoring” (relocation to allies) have not succeeded in stemming American industrial decline. Trump’s tariff policy was overturned by the Supreme Court, but the setback led him to double down on other legislation to impose even broader tariffs that, contrary to his administration’s claims, are paid by American importers and consumers.
Students from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas visit Rua da Felicidade, a main attraction in Macau.
Western observers often misunderstand Chinese planning. Chatham House, a Western think tank, considers China’s five-year plan a risk and questions the value of establishing plans over such a long period for a country as large, diverse and populous as China. He also questions the country’s ability to achieve its growth objectives. Its report describes the plan as “the final consolidation of China’s shift toward technology as the engine of economic growth,” as if it were an end rather than a step in an ongoing process. The Tony Blair Institute for Global Affairs takes a similar view, suggesting that China is moving from active participation to a leadership role in international affairs.
Like many Western analyzes of China, these interpretations are erroneous. There has never been a truer adage than “failing to plan is planning to fail.” Furthermore, China does not seek to rule the world; it aims for multipolarity and equity. It does not seek international domination; it seeks self-sufficiency in strategic sectors while defending its national security.
China is rightly concerned about global bottlenecks in strategic resources such as semiconductors, oil or food supplies. The United States has clearly shown that it is prepared to use these instruments to curb China’s growth. It is therefore logical and responsible to plan reserves, alternatives and national production.
If China poses no military threat to the United States, it is clear that the idea, for Washington, of a quasi-equivalent competitor in world trade constitutes an attack on its national pride. The White House and Congress interpret this as a clear and immediate danger to “national security.” So, rather than planning like China to overcome these challenges, they chose another path: division and disinformation.
The divisions in the United States run deep: between the “red” and “blue” camps, between the rich and the poor, between white Christian supremacists and everyone else, and between supporters of Israel and the rest of the country. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents scoured cities, detained thousands of migrants, and killed several U.S. citizens. The Epstein files have become a major problem for the political elite, who would prefer to see them disappear, while the public demands explanations for each revelation. Freedom of expression takes a back seat and is only acceptable when it fits within an approved spectrum, determined not by the government but by its donors. Bastions of free speech like universities have been warned, and some even sanctioned, for allowing expression that does not conform to it. Columbia University alone lost up to $400 million in federal grants and contracts.
Residents shop at a supermarket in Huai’an, Jiangsu, March 13, 2026.
The chaotic situations in the United States contrast sharply with what is happening in China. The Tony Blair Institute also offers a rare and relatively balanced vision of the Chinese plan. This framework document requires intensive preparation, massive coordination and is socio-economic rather than political in nature. It aims to guarantee the best benefits for the Chinese population. It includes participation from government, but also from academia, industry, business and literally millions of suggestions from the public.
Over the past five years, China has not launched a war or experienced any major breakdown in its international relations. She has not experienced anything comparable to the events of January 6, when the United States Capitol was stormed, nor launched military interventions abroad. On the contrary, it has lifted millions of people out of poverty, while the United States has seen growing economic insecurity among parts of its population.
Life expectancy in China has reached 79 years, a level comparable to that of developed countries. The country has improved domestic consumption, increased electricity production and strengthened environmental protection. All this shows that central planning, local implementation and constant public consultation bring stability and security.
People living in China barely notice the daily changes. The air is cleaner, the cars are quieter, the shopping centers are busier, the stores are full of affordable products, the restaurants are crowded and home deliveries are plentiful. There are trains, planes, buses, ferries and taxis to take us wherever we want to go. People have incomes that match their lifestyle; most only need one job and their bank accounts are overflowing with savings. The country is safe: there is very little street crime and no homeless people. In reality, this is exactly what normal should look like.
Visitors to China are often amazed by the warm welcome, stability, infrastructure, freedoms, security and safety. In recent years, China has expanded visa-free travel to more countries, allowing more travelers to observe these realities with their own eyes.
Long-term social planning, economic growth, stable governance and political stability all point to one conclusion: China’s chosen system is working. It works well and benefits the vast majority of populations, both nationally and internationally. There are certainly valuable lessons to be learned from this.
*JERRY GRAY is a British-Australian freelance writer who has studied cross-cultural change management in China and has lived in the country for almost two decades.
