How Xi Jinping Made the World Quietly Decide China Is the Real Superpower

For decades, "superpower" was an American word. In 2025 and 2026, Xi Jinping has made it Chinese.

The Pattern

In the span of six months, the Chinese leader has:

• Publicly called the United States a "declining nation" — without diplomatic blowback.
• Repeatedly threatened Taiwan while normalizing PLA patrols inside the median line.
• Hosted Vladimir Putin, the Iranian president, and the leaders of Saudi Arabia and Brazil in Beijing.
• Received a phone call in which President Trump reportedly addressed him as "a great and powerful leader."

Each event, taken alone, was minor. Stacked together, they have shifted how the Global South narrates the world order.

The Polling

A Pew Research Center survey released last week found that across 24 surveyed countries, 42% now name China as the world's leading economic power, versus 38% for the United States. Five years ago, the gap ran the other way by 19 points.

In Africa, China leads by 31 points. In Southeast Asia, by 18. Even in Latin America, historically a U.S. sphere, the two powers are now tied.

What This Looks Like in Practice

• Pakistan reroutes wheat imports through Chinese-financed Gwadar Port.
• Brazil settles iron-ore contracts in yuan.
• Saudi Arabia accepts Chinese mediation with Iran instead of American.

The Counter-Argument

The U.S. retains overwhelming superiority in:

• Blue-water navy projection.
• Frontier AI compute and talent.
• Reserve-currency depth.
• Alliance networks (NATO, AUKUS, Quad).

Hard power has not flipped. Perception has. And in geopolitics, perception is half the war.

What Comes Next

The 2027 Chinese Party Congress will be the next stress test. If Xi can engineer a third decade in power without economic crisis, the perception gap may calcify into reality.

Sources: Pew Research Center, Foreign Affairs, Bloomberg, South China Morning Post.