On November 8, 2021, the Russian media outlet Voenno-Promyshlenny Kurier (Military-Industrial Courier) published an interview with renowned Russian academic Sergey Karaganov, Academic Supervisor of the Faculty of World Economics and International Affairs of the Higher School of Economics, Honorary Chairman of the Presidium of the Council on Foreign and Defense Policy and former foreign policy advisor to Russia's Presidential Administration (2001-2013).

In the interview, Karaganov, one of Russia's most authoritative economists and political scientists, stated that in the medium-term China would triumph over the U.S.: "In a decade or so, China will have a nuclear arsenal comparable to that of the United States and Russia, plus a giant navy. And this will be the end of America's hegemony." He added that Russia's interest is in continuing and developing friendly relations with China.

Further stressing that the U.S.'s power is in decline because of its own mistakes and "dazzling stupidity," Karaganov said: " The [U.S. believed] that by [helping China in] developing economically and becoming increasingly capitalist, China will become more democratic, and therefore less governable, and eventually will fall in with the West politically.

And so the U.S. helped China build its current strength. When they [the U.S.] came to their senses, it was too late."