Jeffrey Sachs at CDF 2025: China is not an enemy. Here's why

"China is not an enemy. China is just a success story. That's why it is viewed by the United States as an enemy." That was how Jeffrey Sachs, director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University, defined China in a speech at the European Parliament in February. Today at the China Development Forum 2025, Professor Sachs elaborated on his remarks. "China's success isn't a threat — it's basic arithmetic." He believes driven by 1.4 billion people, the Chinese economy is set to dwarf the U.S. He dismantled zero-sum myths: while there were natural jobs lost to Chinese competition, more new ones emerged. He spotlighted China's regional equity triumphs, like lifting western provinces' growth, while blasting U.S. protectionism as neglecting the big beneficiary of bilateral open trade.