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China’s Rise: A World-Systems View

  • Writer: Gianna Mao  毛佳娜
    Gianna Mao 毛佳娜
  • Apr 16
  • 2 min read

Updated: Apr 18



The U.S.-led capitalist order is weakening. China is rising and power is shifting greatly. World-Systems Theory, developed by Immanuel Wallerstein, helps explain this change.


Core, Periphery, and China’s Role

Wallerstein described a global system divided into three parts:

  • The Core (wealthy, dominant countries like the U.S.)

  • The Periphery (poorer nations exploited for labor and resources)

  • The Semi-Periphery (countries in between, like China was in the 20th century)

For decades, the Core extracted value from the Periphery. But now, the system is breaking down.


China’s Rapid Ascent

China is no longer semi-peripheral. It is now challenging the Core:

  • In Q1 2025, China grew by 5.4%, faster than any major Western economy.

  • It leads in solar, wind, and battery production, dominating green tech supply chains.

  • It controls much of the world’s critical minerals and EV production.

These gains are due to socialist planning, state investment, and long-term strategy—not market forces.


BRICS and a New Global Order

Through BRICS+, China is building an alternative to Western dominance. With countries like Brazil, Russia, India, and South Africa, BRICS now includes much of the Global South.

The bloc is trading in local currencies, funding infrastructure, and moving away from the U.S. dollar. It’s creating a new economic system based on cooperation, not exploitation.


The U.S. in Decline

The U.S. faces slow growth, rising debt, and global distrust. It responds to China with sanctions and threats, but these cannot reverse its decline. Wallerstein predicted this: no empire lasts forever.


A System in Transition

China is not just replacing the U.S.—it’s helping build a new world system. One based on development, green energy, and sovereignty. The old capitalist core is fading. The future is multipolar.



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