• Beijing Daily commentary claims America’s global hegemony declining amid political polarization and protests
• Chinese Communist Party’s Central Committee meeting to draft economic blueprint for 2026-2030
• Commentary comes as US-China tensions escalate over tariffs, export controls and economic sanctions

BEIJING (TDR) — Chinese state media has labelled the US a failed state, claiming it is dying from within as its global hegemony declines, according to a commentary published in Beijing Daily on Tuesday. The statement came as China’s policymakers prepared to outline long-term plans amid intensifying competition with Washington.

The commentary appeared as Beijing began a key four-day conclave Monday that will determine the country’s development over the next five years. The fourth plenum of the Communist Party‘s Central Committee, which runs through Thursday, revolves around formulating a blueprint to guide economic development from 2026 to 2030 amid a trade war led by US President Donald Trump.

Commentary highlights domestic turmoil

Tuesday’s commentary sought to highlight the situation in the United States, saying that political polarization is intensifying and domestic governance is increasingly strained in the country. The state media outlet pointed to recent large-scale protests against Trump, including the No Kings rallies held from New York to Los Angeles, where organizers estimated more than seven million people marched Saturday.

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The Beijing Daily piece also claimed Trump’s tariffs have backfired on Americans, contributing to domestic economic pressures while failing to achieve their intended goals of reducing the trade deficit with China or bringing manufacturing jobs back to the US.

Tensions escalate over trade disputes

Despite months of negotiations, tensions between the rival powers escalated in recent weeks over economic sanctions, export controls and Trump’s threat of an additional 100% tariff on Chinese goods. The commentary comes as China has imposed new export controls on rare earth production techniques, a move that prompted strong reactions from Washington.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent recently dangled the possibility of extending a pause of import duties on Chinese goods for longer than three months if China halts its plan for strict new export controls on rare-earth elements. The US and China have agreed to a series of 90-day truces since earlier this year, with the next deadline looming in November.

Fifth five-year plan focuses on self-reliance

The upcoming 15th five-year plan is particularly critical as China has laid out even longer-term ambitions for 2035, said Zong Liang, former chief researcher at the Bank of China. By then, China aims to boost per capita gross domestic product to the mid-range of developed countries while achieving major breakthroughs in core technologies.

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The plan is expected to prioritize massive state-led investment in advanced manufacturing and emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and green energy. Beijing no longer has wishful thinking that the US-China relationship would swing back to the good old times of the 2000s and early 2010s, according to analysts. China’s plan focuses on insulating itself against trade shocks and limiting American leverage.

China’s trade surplus is on track to exceed $1 trillion this year. While exports to the US have dipped due to tariffs, shipments to developing countries have soared, prompting nations from Brazil to Indonesia to impose their own tariffs on Chinese goods. Though China aims to diversify away from export reliance over the next five years, in the short term it will continue seeking new markets to prop up its sluggish economy.

The Beijing Daily commentary represents the latest salvo in an ongoing war of words between the world’s two largest economies as they compete for global influence and economic dominance.

Can China achieve technological self-reliance while the US faces domestic political turmoil?

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