The Economist.
Hi, I'm Sarah Wu, co-host of Drum Tower, our podcast about China.
Welcome to Editor's Picks.
We've handpicked an article for you from the latest edition of The Economist.
We hope you enjoy listening.
The big noise in 2025 has been President Donald Trump.
Launching a barrage of executive orders, he directed his fire at target after target.
With the aid of Elon Musk, he attempted to dismantle the federal bureaucracy.
On "Liberation Day" he rewrote the rules of trade.
Around the world he imposed peace and threatened war.
However, the big beneficiary has been President Xi Jinping.
This year China defied Mr Trump's attempt to use tariffs to force a show of submission.
By turning the tables, Mr Xi revealed just how much America actually depends on his policies.
In this round of the superpowers' fight for 21st-century supremacy, it was a victory for China.
This year showed the power of China's industrial chokeholds.
China's share of the world's manufacturing value added exceeds one-third,
giving it the power to disrupt global supply chains overnight.
In green technology, Chinese firms supply the materials,
components and finished goods for 60-80% of solar panels, wind turbines and electric vehicles.
DeepSeek showed what China can do in artificial intelligence, despite America's best efforts to hobble it.