China will seize global manufacturing crown from US by 2035: Beijing strategist

China will overtake the United States in hi-tech and advanced military manufacturing within a decade, according to a prominent Chinese strategist.

“Overall, the decline of the US manufacturing industry and its weakened competitiveness in the global market have become an irreversible trend,” said Lu Yongxiang, former vice-chairman of the National People’s Congress, in a commentary published in the Chinese Journal of Mechanical Engineering on September 9.

Lu, who is also former president of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, is known for his rigour, pragmatism and foresight as a mechanical engineer, and has been influential in helping to shape the Chinese government’s long-term development strategies.

While the US has maintained its lead in hi-tech and advanced military equipment production, its advantages are rapidly diminishing, according to Lu.

“It is estimated that by 2035, ‘Made in China’ will surpass the United States and become the global leader,” Lu said in the article.