The Korea Times
PARIS—For most of the postwar era, global power was defined by alliances, aircraft carriers, and reserve currencies. But we are now entering an era defined by critical infrastructure and those who finance, build, and operate it. Ports, power grids, rail corridors, data centers, and critical-mineral supply chains are no longer just “projects.” They are the operating system of sovereignty. Infrastructure—networks that move energy, goods, and data—is the industry of industries. Whoever shapes it through contracts, standards, currency denomination, and long-term maintenance (much of which is increasingly guided by data and AI-driven systems) will achieve enduring global influence. Debates about “de-dollarization” often focus on reserve currencies. In the International Monetary Fund’s Currency Composition of Official Foreign Exchange Reserves data, the U.S. dollar accounted for roughly 57 percent of global reserves in 2025, with the euro a distant second. But official reserves are a lagging indicator. The more relevant shift concerns infrastructure. China recognized this ear
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