[csomar]

> Currency manipulation by the Japanese government further aided its exports, and the oil shock of 1973 was helpful to Japanese automakers given that they specialized in smaller, more efficient cars while the United States produced gas-guzzlers. Japan’s exports to the United States soared. U.S. automakers, in contrast, took too long to understand and then adjust their manufacturing technologies and techniques to the quality revolution.

This ushered the era of Japan (where Japan almost "overtook" the US as the first economy). You can draw lots of parallels to what's happening with China now.

I am afraid, given the size of China, that it'll not "just" reach US GDP but will skyrocket beyond it to the stars. The era of Western/US dominance might be over and it's inevitable.