China is turning its political system into a strategic advantage by concentrating national resources on science and technology. The U.S., Europe, and other East Asian economies need to rethink how they compete. Free-market competition is excellent at fostering diversity, creativity, and disruptive innovation. But it is not always the most efficient way to mobilize limited time, capital, and resources. This matters enormously in AI, semiconductors, quantum computing, and other capital-intensive industries. Technological supremacy is no longer just about who invents the best technology. It is also about who can mobilize capital, talent, infrastructure, and industrial capacity the fastest. We should preserve the strengths of free markets without ignoring the strategic advantages of coordinated national investment. The real competition is not simply technology versus technology. It is increasingly system versus system.