It's USA vs China

VIRTUAL REALITY

- TONY LOPEZ

To understand President Donald J. Trump's shocking tariffs slapped on more than 160 nations including its traditional and closest allies and trading partners, read the latest Central Intelligence Agency's annual threat assessment report.

The US has vaunted economic and military might: $28 trillion GDP, 25 percent of the world; the world's still unrivaled military superpower. Still, America feels insecure and threatened.

Donald's response to the threats, bizarrely, are reciprocal tariffs, a minimum of 10 percent, on countries like Singapore, and 76 percent average tariff, on China—more than 20 times 2018's, during Trump's first term.

Among nations counted as threats to the US, China is No. 1. "China presents the most comprehensive and robust military threat to US national security," says the CIA.

"The PRC seeks to compete with the US as the leading economic power in the world. The strategy calls for a centralized, state-directed and nationally resourced approach to dominating global markets and strategic supply chains, limiting foreign competitors and making other nations dependent on China," warns the CIA.

Actually, China's economy is now bigger than America's. Its GDP in purchasing power parity is $39.44 trillion in 2025, with a per capita GDP of $28,010, making it the largest economy globally. The US's GDP, PPP, is $30.37 trillion.

In technology, China's free DeepSeek, developed for only $5 million, is seen as just as good, if not better, than ChatGPT, developed at a cost of billions.

China's bioeconomy is now worth $3.3 trillion.

"China has made progress in producing advanced seven-nanometer (nm) semiconductor chips for cryptocurrency mining and cellular devices using previously acquired deep ultraviolet (DUV) lithography equipment, but will face challenges achieving high-quality, high-volume production of these chips without access to extreme ultraviolet lithography tools," says the CIA.