Chinese venture capitalist and political scientist Eric X. Li said China has overtaken traditional industrial powers in manufacturing and automobiles and that the shift is permanent, speaking on Indonesian entrepreneur Gita Wirjawan’s podcast.
Li said China now has the world’s largest industrial capacity, surpassing the United States, Germany, Japan, India and several other countries combined. He estimated China accounts for about 35% of global industrial output, rising toward 40%.
Data from the United Nations Industrial Development Organization show China’s share of global manufacturing output has risen sharply over the past three decades, reaching about 30% in recent years, ahead of the United States, Japan and Germany.
“We went from single-digit share of the global industrial capacity to today, our industrial capacity is the biggest in the world,” Li said on the Endgame podcast with Gita Wirjawan, in an episode titled “China Predicted Its Rise 75 Years Ago.”
Eric Li: "China now produces more than the U.S., Germany, Japan, India, and the next six countries combined… It took three countries 75 years to dominate the auto industry.
— COMBATE |🇵🇷 (@upholdreality) February 10, 2026
We uprooted it in five. And it's never going back." https://t.co/SkVPvfLfAH pic.twitter.com/mpaRyPSK17
Li said China followed U.S. technology development in earlier decades but invested heavily in education, infrastructure and research, which he said positioned the country for scientific and technological breakthroughs across multiple sectors.
He said the turning point began around 2020, first affecting renewable energy and later the automobile sector, which he described as a pillar industry of the global economy.
China is the world’s largest producer of automobiles by volume, according to figures released by the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, which reported vehicle output of more than 34 million units in 2025.
“The auto industry is a pillar industry of the world,” Li said. He said it took Germany, Japan and the United States about 75 years after World War II to dominate the sector, but China displaced them within five years.
“In five years, we uprooted the entire thing,” Li said. “And it’s never going back.”
China’s manufacturing expansion has been driven by long-term investment in factories, logistics and workforce training, according to statements from the State Council Information Office, which has said the country accounts for roughly 30% of global manufacturing output.
Li said China’s gains reflect decades of industrial accumulation rather than short-term policy shifts. He predicted similar rapid advances in other sectors over the next decade.
The comments were made on Wirjawan’s Endgame podcast, which features political and economic figures discussing global power shifts and development models.
