There may be no more important question for the West’s competitive position in advanced industries than whether China is becoming a rival innovator. While the evidence suggests it hasn’t yet taken the overall lead, it has pulled ahead in certain areas, and in many others Chinese firms will likely equal or surpass Western firms within a decade or so.
Did people forget when the US went to shit, and how the US quality of life only really started declining when they won the Cold War and had no more competition? Competition is key to pushing the US to do better. It’s not going to do that without the threat of China (not that it’s doing that now, but the principle still stands).