[KKKKkkkk1]

Paul Samuelson the Nobel Memorial Prize laureate repeatedly predicted the USSR economy will overtake the US within X years. Predictions are hard!

[opportune]

The USSR was closeish to the US population. China has 4x the US population. That roughly means they only need to reach 1/4 the living standards of the US to have a larger economy. Seems pretty doable.

[nicbou]

China also has a massive, modern industry as far as I can tell.

People bought far fewer goods from the USSR than we do from China.