China's Rapid De-Americanization Strategy Gains Momentum

China's Strategic Shift Away from US Dependence

China is accelerating its decoupling from the United States across multiple critical sectors, according to Professor Wang Wen of the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies. The strategy, which Beijing calls 'Chinese de-Americanization,' represents a fundamental reorientation toward self-reliance and global diversification. 'This is not about confrontation, but strategic autonomy,' Wang explains in his analysis of China's evolving global position.

Trade Diversification Replaces Dependency

The trade relationship between the world's two largest economies is undergoing dramatic transformation. While the economies remain deeply intertwined, China is actively reducing its exposure to American markets. The numbers tell a compelling story: US trade as a percentage of China's total foreign trade dropped from 19.3% in 2018 to just 9.2% in the first eight months of 2025, even as China's overall trade volume grew by 45%. 'The figures speak for themselves: China trades more, but not so much with the US,' Wang observes.

The shift is particularly evident in agricultural commodities. Where China once sourced 85% of its soybeans from the United States, that figure has plummeted to 22%, with Brazil now supplying 68% of China's soybean needs. This represents what Wang describes as 'the Chinese version of de-risking - Beijing isn't closing itself off from the American market, but ensuring it's no longer dependent on it.'

Technology: From Follower to Competitor

China's technological transformation represents one of the most significant aspects of its de-Americanization strategy. American sanctions and export restrictions, which have placed over 1,700 Chinese entities on restricted lists since 2018, have ironically accelerated China's push for technological independence. The result has been 'a strong increase in state-driven innovation and a race to develop domestic alternatives,' according to Wang.

Research and development spending reached 2.55% of GDP in 2024, with basic research accounting for 6.8% of that total. China now holds 42% of global 5G standard-essential patents and is expected to operate over 4.6 million 5G base stations by the end of 2025 - approximately 60% of the global total. In artificial intelligence, China accounts for 61.5% of global generative AI patents, while its research papers on autonomous driving and quantum computing now surpass American publications in citation impact.

The hardware sector demonstrates remarkable progress toward technological independence. Huawei and Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation have developed the Kirin 9000S chip without assistance from ASML's lithography tools, previously considered essential for advanced semiconductors. Other milestones include the Beidou satellite network serving over 200 countries, the Fendouzhe submarine reaching depths of 10,000 meters, and the Chang'e 6 lunar probe returning samples from the far side of the moon.

Financial Diversification Beyond the Dollar

China's financial decoupling strategy focuses on reducing dependence on the US dollar while building what Wang calls 'a more resilient global financial network.' The politicization of the dollar during the Trump administration highlighted the vulnerabilities of dollar-centric systems, prompting Beijing to accelerate its diversification efforts.

The Cross-Border Interbank Payment System (CIPS) now supports transactions in 185 countries, while renminbi-denominated liquefied natural gas trading on the Shanghai Oil and Gas Exchange continues to grow. The Shenzhen Qianhai Joint Trading Center regularly processes offshore soybean transactions in renminbi, and China has established local currency settlement agreements with more than 40 countries. In China-Russia trade, over 95% of transactions are settled in local currencies.

'It's not that China wants to displace the US dollar as the international currency, but Beijing is building a parallel system,' Wang explains. This approach strengthens financial security while reducing exposure to unilateral sanctions.

Ideological Independence and Global Governance

China is increasingly distancing itself from the American development model, promoting what Wang describes as 'its own approach to governance, knowledge, and global engagement.' He argues that global discourse has been dominated by Western theories for decades, promoting a single normative standard.

China points to its domestic achievements, claiming to have lifted over 100 million people from extreme poverty in the past decade, while contrasting this with what it portrays as American social challenges. Internationally, China promotes multilateralism and opposes exclusive trade and security blocs like the G7 and IMF. The expansion of BRICS from five to fifteen countries, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization representing 40% of the global population, and participation by over 150 countries in the Belt and Road Initiative illustrate this alternative approach to global governance.

Education: From Brain Drain to Domestic Talent

China's higher education reforms aim to reduce dependence on American and European universities while cultivating domestic expertise. Where a 'significant portion' of Chinese STEM graduates previously remained in the United States, about 92% now stay in China. The Strengthening Basics Plan has enrolled 180,000 students in fields like semiconductors and nuclear sciences over five years.

International student flows have also rebalanced: China hosted 520,000 foreign students in 2024, while the number of Chinese citizens studying in the United States dropped from a peak of 400,000 to fewer than 200,000.

Toward a Multipolar World Order

Wang characterizes China's de-Americanization as 'a strategic recalibration aimed at creating an independent, resilient China capable of participating in global cooperation on the basis of greater equality.' The goal, he emphasizes, is not confrontation but strategic autonomy.

'In this evolving framework, emerging economies can participate in global governance without depending on one dominant power,' Wang concludes. 'De-Americanization is less a rebellion than a quiet repositioning - laying the foundation for what could be called re-globalization, where a diverse, balanced, and multipolar world order becomes the new norm.'