A comforting myth has taken hold in some Western circles: the idea that China’s rise is unsustainable, that its system will eventually collapse under the weight of its contradictions, and that time is on the side of democracy. In We Are Funding China’s Growth That Must Stop!, Edouard Prisse systematically dismantles this fantasy—and warns that waiting for Beijing to fail is not a strategy, but a delusion.
This myth persists for several reasons. China’s economic model is heavily reliant on state control. It has significant demographic challenges, an overleveraged property sector, and growing discontent among its youth. But as Prisse points out, none of these factors guarantees collapse. In fact, authoritarian regimes often outlast their critics precisely because they can suppress dissent, control capital flows, and redirect blame.
The real danger lies in Western complacency. Believing that China will implode relieves the burden of action. It allows politicians, corporations, and economists to justify the status quo—to keep trading with China, to delay industrial re-shoring, and to avoid difficult conversations about economic dependency. But this is wishful thinking, not sound policy.
Prisse challenges this narrative by focusing on the structural strengths of China’s rise. The Chinese Communist Party is not operating on a short electoral timeline. It thinks in decades. It builds reserve power—$3 trillion in foreign assets—largely funded by its trade surplus with the United States and Europe. These reserves give China tremendous flexibility, enabling it to fund global infrastructure, acquire foreign assets, and support key industries even during downturns.
Meanwhile, Western democracies are constrained by political cycles, budget fights, and corporate lobbying. They struggle to enact coherent long-term policies. In this mismatch of timelines and goals, Beijing has the advantage.
Prisse also warns against underestimating China’s ability to adapt. While Western observers focus on failures like ghost cities or bad loans, they ignore the state’s capacity to redirect resources. The Party’s grip on financial institutions means it can force investment into key sectors, maintain employment, and suppress financial panic. These are tools that democratic governments simply do not have.
The belief in inevitable Chinese collapse also blinds the West to China’s successes. It dominates the global supply chain for rare earths, solar panels, and much of the green energy transition. It is rapidly building military and technological capabilities. It controls or influences key shipping ports across Europe and Africa. These are not signs of a failing state. They are signs of strategic expansion.
Perhaps most dangerously, the collapse narrative prevents the West from addressing its own vulnerabilities. It encourages a kind of strategic laziness, where meaningful reform is delayed in the hope that China’s model will self-destruct. Prisse makes it clear: even if China’s system is flawed, it can endure—and it can do serious damage to Western interests in the meantime.
Instead of betting on collapse, Prisse calls for proactive action. That means ending the flow of Western capital into China by restructuring trade. It means adopting Equal Trade policies that match imports with exports and limiting the funds available for Beijing’s global ambitions. It also means rebuilding strategic industries and reducing dependency on Chinese supply chains.
The path forward is not passive. It requires leadership, courage, and clarity.
We Are Funding China’s Growth That Must Stop! is a powerful rejection of the idea that we can wait this out. Betting on China’s failure may feel reassuring, but it is a luxury we can no longer afford.