歷史上，由於地緣或國力的原因，日本、中國是很有憂患意識的國家，現在美國也變成了這樣的國家。美國的恐懼來自對失去霸權的擔心。美國對於霸權是十分在意的，因為美國的一系列優越感都與其霸權相關。美國認為，它有權享受與其他國家不一樣的奢侈生活，在國際事務中可以例外。美國可以批評、指責或干預其他任何國家的國內事務，只要願意。所有這些特殊的想法均與美國的霸權心態相關，而如果美國的霸權衰落或失去，它的獨一無二的生活方式就將失去。這就是美國恐懼的深層原因。

美國對霸權喪失的歷史性恐懼從1991年蘇聯解體就已經開始。那時候美國認為世界進入了單極世界，美國必須在這個特定的歷史機遇中強化自身，加大全球布局，從而使霸權得以持續。那時候的恐懼還是一種對遠景的可能擔心，而自2008年和2012年之後，這種擔心變得越來越具體現實了。中國威脅變成美國恐懼的具象，且這種威脅不再只是一種潛在的挑戰，而是變成了必須解決的戰略競爭問題。

美國預設中國的潛在威脅為眼前威脅，首先是國內需要。美國國內需要外部敵人，美國的軍工企業和國防開支都離不開外部敵人，美國的兩黨政治競爭也需要外部因素來平衡和統籌。如果說俄羅斯還只是美國的軍事威脅，那麼中國就被當成了美國的綜合競爭對手。所謂的外部威脅還可以作為美國為自身失誤尋找借口的直接原因，比如美國經濟出現問題，美國的失業，美國的製造業萎縮，這些都可以從競爭對象中國身上找原因，以平息選民和在野黨的壓力。

還就是國際戰略需要。美國實力相對下降，影響力也相對下降，在實力決定對外戰略的前提下，美國應該收縮其防線，但美國的外部威脅在上升，戰略競爭對手的能力也在提升，美國又必須強化對外施壓。如何讓美國國內確認美國需要對外施壓，理由顯然也是中國崛起。有趣的是，美國一方面渲染中國威脅論，另一方面又不斷強調美國軍力佔有絕對優勢。但美國對手太多，難以聚焦，這是美國憂慮所在。當美國把焦點鎖定中國的時候，它會發現在全球範圍內有許多問題讓美國難以取捨。這也成為美國戰略不確定和戰略混亂的原因。美國作為全球霸權，世界上許多問題都與其霸權穩定相關，但美國已經感到力所不及，於是誇大地將這些問題與中國無端地聯在一起。中國沒有想謀取霸權，但美國擔心霸權喪失，於是中國成了美國的戰略競爭對手。

中國改革開放40年取得了很大成就，中國需要從這些成就中提取未來發展的信心，但並不是說中國已經成熟到可以充當世界領袖。中國不僅沒有這種願望，也沒有這種能力。中國絕沒有自信到妄自尊大的程度。不能把中國在國際社會中勇於擔責的義舉，當成中國謀取霸權的證據。當今時代是一個特殊的歷史時期，中國尚未真正強大，而美國未老先衰，因而有一種日薄西山的焦慮。其實問題還在美國自身。

美國對自身發展真的失去信心了嗎？如果中國發展模式是不正當的，不合法的，那麼應該是沒有前途的，美國應該沒有必要擔心。如果美國認為自身模式出了問題，而別國模式也有可取之處，美國通過糾錯借鑒就可以了，何必杞人憂天？當然，美國承認自身不足這一點很難，但是美國為了自身發展，理應有勇氣面對自身不足並加以改正。世界各國都願意看到美國通過合理糾錯的方式繼續強大。壓制別國是一種手段，但不是根本的手段，發展自己才是根本之路。

美國沒有使用所謂國家資本主義，但美國一直在使用霸權的方式統治世界。美國是有特權的，美國是獨斷專行的，而中國沒有這樣的可能性，更不可能通過戰爭來替代美國的霸權。難道中國有可能仿照美國的對蘇聯戰略使美國和平演變嗎？中國從來沒有這個想法。

Historically speaking, Japan and China are countries always ready for unexpected dangers, due to their geographical position and national power. Now the United States has also become such a country. The US' fear comes from its worry of losing its hegemonic position. The US' sense of superiority is based on its hegemonic position in the world. The United States believes it is exceptional and can intervene in other countries' internal affairs as it likes. All these special ideas are related to the American hegemonic mindset. If the US loses its hegemonic position in the world, its unique lifestyle will go with it. This is the underlying cause of its fear.

The US' historic fear of losing its hegemonic position began with the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. At that time, the United States believed that the world had become unipolar and it must use this historical opportunity to maximize its power and expand its global reach in order to maintain its hegemony. That fear was actually a worry about the direction of the world future. Since 2008, this fear has become more real and concrete. In the US' eyes, China is no longer just a potential challenge, but a strategic competitor which must be dealt with in a serious manner.

The United States sees China as an immediate threat instead of a potential danger.First, there is domestic demand for this. The United States needs external enemies. The American military enterprises and US defense spending cannot survive without external enemies. The external factors are also important to balance and coordinate the two US parties' political competition. If Russia is regarded just as a military threat to the United States, then China is viewed as a strategic competitor in a more comprehensive sense. The so-called external threats can also act as scapegoats, which US can blame for its own mistakes. For example, economic recessions, unemployment, shrinking in manufacturing industries, and other domestic problems can all be China's fault, so as to quell the pressure from voters and the opposition party.

Then there is the need for its international strategy. The US' strength and influence are in relative decline. According to the logic that national strength determines a country's foreign strategy, the United States should decrease its defense budget. Yet the actual situation is that the US' external threats are on the rise, and the capabilities of its strategic competitors are also improving. As a response, the United States must also strengthen its external power. Then, the rise of China has become an easy and legitimate reason to convince the American people that the US has to strengthen its external power in order to maintain its position in the world. Interestingly, The US' worry reflects its contradictory psychology. On the one hand, the United States frequently highlighted the so called “China threat”; on the other hand, it repeatedly emphasized that the United States enjoys an absolute advantage in military power in the world. It is easy to see the contradiction: since the US claimed to enjoy absolute superiority in its military power, why should it worry about other countries? Look further, we can find that the United States has really many rivals; so many that it is difficult for it to focus. This is actually what really worries the United States. The United States can lock its focus on China, but it has found so many more such dangers that it is difficult for it to keep its focus solely on China. This is another underlying worry. This has also become a cause of its strategic uncertainty and strategic chaos. As a global hegemon, the United States has many problems due to maintaining its hegemonic position in the world, which are beyond its control. To find an easy way out, it just related all these problems to China. China does not seek hegemony; yet the United States is worried about losing its hegemony.

China has made great achievements in the past 40 years of reform and opening-up. China should be confident in its future development based on its past achievements. But this is not to say that China is ready to lead the world. China has neither the ambition nor the ability to lead the world. China knows itself well enough not to be placed at the center of the world. It is wrong to regard China's courage to take responsibility in the international community as evidence of China's intention to seek hegemony. The US assumption that China is already very powerful is premature and its anxiety is unnecessary. In fact, the real problem lies with the United States itself. Even if China becomes stronger, the United States has nothing to worry about as long as it maintains its strength.

Has the United States really lost confidence in its own development? If yes, then this shows that it has no confidence in its own development model. If China's development model is wrong and destined to fail, the United States has nothing to worry about at all. If the United States thinks that its model has some flaws, and other countries' models have merits, then the United States can learn from others and correct its mistakes. So, what is there to worry about? Of course, it is difficult for the United States to admit that it has shortcomings. However, the United States should have the courage to face up to its own shortcomings and correct them. All countries in the world would like to see the United States remain strong through correcting its mistakes. In fact, what the United States needs to do now is simple – just keep its confidence, nothing else. China can offer help to the US in order to help it maintain its confidence.

The United States must develop itself. The United States did not use the so-called state capitalism to rule the world; instead it used hegemony. It has special rights and always acts on its own. There is no possibility that China would do the same. It is unlikely that China would gain dominance over the United States through war or take its place in the world. Is it possible for China to peacefully transform the United States the way the US did to the Soviet Union? China has never had such an intention.