Illustration: Liu Xiangya/Global Times

Former US permanent representative to NATO Kay Bailey Hutchison recently said that the best leverage to deter China is to make its economy collapse. She expressed hope that none of the major economies in the world will invest in China, do business in China, or create jobs in China, so that China's economy will collapse. Her comments clearly reflect a certain mind-set held by some US political elites toward China, which aligns with the strategic direction the US is currently pursuing.

Washington wants to crush Beijing's economy, while China seeks to promote long-term growth and development. This economic battleground will be a key aspect of the rivalry between China and the US.

The importance of the economy to China is highlighted from a new perspective by the words of Hutchison, who is severely hostile toward China. As a former ambassador to NATO, she should have been most adept at thinking about containing China from a military perspective. However, this former ambassador lacks such confidence. She believes that China will have "more military, bigger navies, more weapons, more missiles," as well as "nuclear [weapons] and space stations," which the US cannot stop. 

In her opinion, China's potential to surpass the US in economic power poses a more realistic threat to Washington. Once China's economy surpasses that of the US, the US may find itself in a passive strategic position. Therefore, she envisions a scenario where major economies cease investing in or conducting business with China, leading to the collapse of China's economy.

From Hutchison's words, we can infer the true threat facing China, its source, the planned methods and the gradual pace at which it approaches us. China has always emphasized the equal importance of development and security, which are closely intertwined in the country. However, some political elites in Washington now seek to directly hinder China's economic progress, fundamentally undermining the driving force of China's national rejuvenation, and attempting to remove what they see as the US' strategic "major problem" by pushing China toward chaos through stagnation. This poses a new challenge for China.

However, the extreme political elites in the US forget one crucial point: A large country like China has an intrinsic motivation for economic development that is always decisive. We were not, and will not be, subordinate to US policies. It is wishful thinking for them to believe they can make us prosper or decline at their will.

The true driving force of China's economic development is the people's constant pursuit of a better life and the commitment of the Communist Party of China (CPC) as the ruling party to a people-centered approach. This commitment continually fulfills the people's aspirations and drives the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. China is a great civilization with a long history, filled with glorious memories and the ambition to restore that glory. The CPC wholeheartedly serves the people and the country, making China indestructible as an economic entity.

Let us remember the malicious expressions of this former US ambassador to NATO. She has not considered what kind of disaster collapsing China's economy would mean for the human rights of all the Chinese people - her eyes only see geopolitics. Our task is to ensure that the plots of the extreme political elites she represents completely fail.

So, what should we do? It is simple. Not only should we remember her venomous words, but we should also go against them. Since she wants the world's major economies to stop investing in and trading with China, we should do the opposite by continuously expanding China's opening-up, attracting more investment and further growing foreign trade. In recent years, the Chinese government has consistently introduced new policies favorable to foreign investment. After the pandemic, China has also continuously implemented visa-free policies for citizens of an increasing number of countries. These measures are steadily releasing power.

More importantly, it is important to recognize that the economy plays a crucial role in both the development and security of a country. Nowadays, countries around the world place economic security at the top of their national security agenda, whether it is the US, Europe, or major developing countries; none are exceptions. For China, the economy is also a key resource for achieving domestic stability and conducting external competition. As a major country, China must not have any shortcomings, especially in the economy. It is crucial that the well-being of China's economy primarily depends on ourselves. In other words, the fate of the Chinese nation is firmly in our own hands.

The author is a Chinese media professional. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn