US-China competition focuses on growth

Two leaders who are both facing national economic challenges are shifting some of their great-power competition to a race to find out whose country is growing the strongest.

In the past month, President Biden has twice publicly said that the US economy could grow faster this year than China’s for the first time since 1976. The statements, which the White House said were based on independent projections, have touched a nerve in Beijing, according to Chinese policy advisers and economists who consult with the government.