[ No longer “Made in China.” We are living in the era of “Created in China.” ]

DeepSeek seemed to appear out of nowhere. At least that was the impression in January 2025, when the language model entered the global stage and triggered a wave of attention. But was it truly a surprise?

In its in-depth feature—supported by compelling visualizations—WIRED highlights something that is often overlooked in the broader debate: China’s role today is no longer confined to manufacturing or cost advantages. It extends to shaping the architecture of global value chains, setting the pace and scale of technology commercialization, and defining new standards in electric mobility, energy, AI, and digital platforms. In other words, the relevant question is no longer “if,” but “to what extent” we are already operating in a reality co-shaped by Chinese firms and their operational models.

Equally noteworthy is the cultural and infrastructural dimension: applications, hardware, batteries, components—many have become a seamless, almost invisible part of everyday life far beyond China’s borders. Not through grand declarations, but through consistent scale and execution.

This is not a story about dominance. It is a diagnosis of a shifting center of gravity. And such shifts—particularly in the context of megatrends—are rarely temporary.