chapotraphouse

The worrying part is what a declining empire will do as it inevitably falls

The US, being the fascist empire it is, will take much of the globe down with it.

If they treat the world like the US did during its century, probably, but so far that doesn't seem to be the case. They don't have military bases spread all around the world, they haven't dropped a single bomb, they have businesses and loans they give out but they don't force you to have a certain political or economic system (unlike the West which gives their loans with requirements for austerity attached).

I think the only issue is that they seem to be over correcting and are too uninvolved with other countries. So it will probably be fine lol.

From the Chinese? No. From the US/collective west? Very much yes. Our world has not yet experienced an empire falling and being replaced by another empire* in the nuclear age.

*At least not unfriendly empires. The British/French empires would absolutely supplanted by US post WW2 hegemony but as the US was a white supremacist power like them it was more like handing it off to a relative than losing it to a total stranger which is how the racist rage will regard China taking first place. Additionally the interests of the European bourgeoisie were harmonized with US interests. The US in fact saved them from socialism by occupying western Europe and suppressing communists rather than what would have happened had the USSR won all on its own in Europe and then let them have buy-in. Though the Chinese have given western bourgeoisie some buy-in they have zero power unlike in the aftermath of the Europe to US empire transition.

Taiping were weirdos but actually a historically progressive force, they wanted to end slavery/serfdom, and various other things.