CMV: The world needs to accept China's role as a (potentially) equal superpower and move on

I'm Chinese, and have lived in China for more than half my life, and the US for a little less than half, and I see this sentiment echoed in both Chinese and American media.<br><br>America has been the world's superpower since the end of WWII, and has been instrumental in creating the world order we have today, with the UN, free trade, and what not.<br><br>However, I think those days are ending. China is on its way to become a superpower, potentially of the same calibre as the US. This is best illustrated by the Belt and Road Initiative, where China has started to create a global network of trade that connects (potentially) the whole of Eurasia and Africa to China.<br><br>I believe these claims not because I'm biased, but because the evidence is there. China today is like the US 100 years ago- it's got the momentum of industry, education, and a large young workforce. It's also got a government with a clear long-term vision that's not regularly changed by elections.<br><br>Many in the US don't want to accept this because they believe that China is an illusory power - its wealth and influence is somehow less legitimate because it's "communist", because the country lacks complete freedom of speech, because of the Xinjiang camps (which are a disgusting event that the government should be held accountable for), and many other reasons.<br><br>These reasons may be valid, but they don't change the fact that China is becoming a superpower. I think the world needs to move on and accept this - that China, with warts and all, is here to stay, and quite soon it may have more wealth and influence on global affairs than the US.