People's Republic of China
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- For more information on the topic see Emerging Superpowers and Superpower\
The People's Republic of China (PRC) is often considered an emerging superpower due to its large and stable population, its rapidly growing economy and military spending and capabilities [1]. However, it has several economic, political, and demographic problems which need to be overcome to be considered as a superpower. It is not yet as influential on the international stage as the United States or the former Soviet Union.
Definition
editA superpower is a nation that exercises dominance over the remainder of the world through a combination of hard power (military, economic) and soft power (cultural power). The term superpower was originally used to describe the Soviet Union and the United States in the Cold War and later to describe only the United States in a unipolar world. The United States is still the superpower of today.
Thus to emerge as a superpower, a nation would have to be roughly have equal power in international relations to the United States. The title of superpower is based on relative terms and there are not a strict set of guidelines to govern a superpower. A superpower is dominant over its contemporaries, and thus as powers over the world continue to grow or decline, there are likely to be power shifts in terms of polarity. Thus, if a nation can reach the economic, political and military strength of the contemporary United States in many years time, it will not necessarily be a superpower, as the United States may have also risen in technological and military strength since then. China's growth in recent times has led to speculation by media, politicians and academics that China may match the United States in the future. As a superpower, China may occupy a similar bloc to that of the Soviet Union, forming the Communist line of thought against the capitalist governments of the Western powers and other Asian powers like India and Japan.
Current status
editChina is commonly referred to as a great power because of its increased economic and military strength under its communist government. A great power is considered one level below a superpower, although it should be noted that no strict criterion are applied and the status of great power is given through various types of analysis of a country's strength.
Geographical position
editGreat leap forward and Cultural revolution
editEconomic growth
editGrowth of global political influence
editHard power
editChina's military expansion
editWestern view on Chinese growth
editSoft power
editPopulation control
editPolitical and economic issues hindering growth
editReferences
editobviously Nafees
See also
edit- China
- Chinese Century
- Chinese economic reform
- Chinese nationalism
- China's peaceful rise
- Chinese space program
- Culture of China
- Economy of the People's Republic of China
- Social issues in the People's Republic of China
- Foreign relations of the People's Republic of China
- Greater China
- List of tributaries of Imperial China
- Military of the People's Republic of China
- Pax Sinica
- People's Liberation Army
- Politics of the People's Republic of China
- Science and technology in China
- Sports in China
- Transportation in the People's Republic of China
Nafees
External links
edit- TIME Magazine - The Chinese Century
- OECD/United Nations University video interview - the rise of China and the consequences for Africa
- Yahoo! News - China poised to attain superpower status: US intelligence czar
- FAS - China: the Emerging Superpower
- Conference of Defence Associations Institute: China's Superpower Challenge
- CNN Specials: Asian Superpower
- BBC: Is China The Next Superpower?
- Rediff.com - Americans think China will be superpower before India
- TIME.COM Special: China
- Deutsche Bank Research: China as potential superpower - regional responses
- Telegraph News: Blast-off for China's superpower dream
- U.S. State Department: China's Emergence as an Economic Superpower and Its Implications for U.S. Business
- The Independent: America meets the new superpower
- New York Times: China economy even larger than thought
- Electronic Business Online: Is China the next R&D superpower?
- Essay: "The Middle Kingdom, The Reinstatement of a Revisionist Great Power ", by Aron Patrick