Is China a superpower?

[Guest Ronald Reagen]

Is China a superpower? Can it become one? And is EU a superpower yet?

[fistofdoom]

I recently heard that they're always concerned about propping up their internal stability through assertions that they're more solid and unshakable than their government actually is. Don't ask me to source, I'm not going to spend a few hours going through my history to find anything.

[Dwynn]

Whis is this in Orbis Central and not in the proper forum?

[Dark Specter]

im not sure if this is a debate, if so then it should be in the debate section... And china i believe is an upcoming super power, they are strong economically but their military is still behind.

[Pwnius Scrubius]

Duh. Biggest economy

[Guest Ronald Reagen]

it's a debate so it's in debate section >

[WISD0MTREE]

Duh. Biggest economy

What was that Chinese eBay type thing that opened shares on the NYSE? Alib something... 

[SoS]

What was that Chinese eBay type thing that opened shares on the NYSE? Alib something...

Alibaba...good stuff. You can do way more than ebay.

 

NEhow...China will be a superpower cuz of manufacturing. We can't keep tech edge with a banking and service economy. Goodbye America.

[Arthur James]

Superpower may return to Europe, someday (other than Russia, China, India and Brazil)

[Franz Von Dietrich]

China is somewhat a superpower, but one little tear at it's economy could pop it's bubble.

[Spite]

What is a superpower?

 

Superpower is a term used during the cold war to describe the emergence of the USA and USSR as the two foremost great powers. 

 

What is a great power?

 

A great power is a power which can project military strength globally, exerts global political hegemoney, is recognised as a great power by other great powers and is in the first rank of nations worldwide.

 

 

This last part is what made the term superpower contentious in international relations (as opposed to colloquial usage). The great powers are widely recognised as being the permanent members of the UN security council - ie. USA, UK, France, China and Russia, with the possible inclusion of Japan and Germany who fulfill all the criteria of great powers except military strength.

 

 

Now it's obvious that since the fall of the USSR (even before that arguably) the USA is by far the most powerful country in the world. Politically, economically and militarily it is the centre of the world. Now by the original definition of great powers, this means it is the only great power, since it is in a class of its own. 

 

 

China is a powerful regional power with global economic clout. It has growing influence in Africa and the Middle-East and some legacy influence in parts of Latin America. However it is not politically on a par with the USA, not even on a par with smaller countries such as Germany and the UK. 

 

Economically it is very strong, but that economy is based largely on it's industrial capacity. It's per-capita income is still very low and it's human development index barely rates it as an OECD nation never mind in the first rank globally.

 

In terms of military power, the vast bulk of Chinese military expenditure is focused defensively. Despite being the second or third biggest spender on arms globally, it has a big catch up game to play with the USA and their Western allies. It's technology is lacking and it hasn't got the naval or air capacity to fight a war abroad. For example, China would logistically struggle to attack Iraq in the way the USA did, if it wanted to do such a thing. It lacks the ability to win an air war abroad, and is largely a local power.

 

 

So no, China isn't a superpower. It's an emerging great power which may some day reach a position where it's per capita income, military strength and foreign influence ranks it at a par with the USA. But that isn't going to be for a long time yet.

 

 

disclaimer: I'm not American

[Niemand]

China is not on par now in military and diplomacy with the USA, so it isn't a superpower yet. However I think it will not last that long before China is the strongest superpower.

 

It is building strong links with Brasil, Russia, India & South Africa (BRICS) and they are making a lot of unilateral deals with many nations in Asia & Africa, taking over the lead there that Western nations had. It's economy and technology is becoming very good. 12.8% of global research and development they do, well ahead of England and most of Western Europe. Their army is indeed defensive, but it is growing and gets influence in South Chinese Sea and Indian Sea.

 

There are many problems they have (minorities, high educated citizens, but no democracy, USA being stronger in the military (so do must avoid real military confrontations)), but when coped it is over with USA being the world sheriff.

 

Read more about this Tomgram: Pepe Escobar, Inside China's "New Normal".

[elsuper]

NEhow...

 

Ni hao? You're one of them!

 

I agree with those who have said China is a power, not a super-power, for the reasons they provided.

[Kenneth]

Yes China is a superpower. It does not have a permanent seat on the UN Security Council for nothing.

[Spite]

Yes China is a superpower. It does not have a permanent seat on the UN Security Council for nothing.

by that logic France is a superpower. I don't think you understand what the term means

[Magicboyd25]

I believe China is strong in many forms, however they dont have the influence nor political capita to take hold of things. They may get military and manufacturing at high rates, however it wont make them stronger than others around them.

[Fox Fire]

Is China a superpower?

Not yet, but it will be. It is indeed a major global power in terms of economy though, not just regional.

 

So no, China isn't a superpower. It's an emerging great power which may some day reach a position where it's per capita income, military strength and foreign influence ranks it at a par with the USA. But that isn't going to be for a long time yet.

It's already has been a "great power" for quite some time. It's certainly not an "emerging" great power anymore. At this point, it's a "potential superpower" as is the EU and India.

[Magicboyd25]

Not yet, but it will be. It is indeed a major global power in terms of economy though, not just regional.

 

It's already has been a "great power" for quite some time. It's certainly not an "emerging" great power anymore. At this point, it's a "potential superpower" as is the EU and India.

 

It will be interesting to see where China moves. 

[Spite]

The EU isn't a federal state it's a loose economic union. Using the term "superpower" to describe something that:

1. Isn't a country

2. Has no army

3. Has no unified economic policy (not all countries are eurozone)

4. Has no single political/diplomatic representation

 

just means you don't understand what "great power" means. It doesn't mean a strong country or organisation it is a specific term in international relations which has a specific set of criteria.

 

"Superpower" other than being something the X-Men have is just a slang term coined to describe the USA and USSR as pre-eminent great powers. China is an emerging great power. It's not established by any means. It is fighting for the title of greatest economy now. In 1980 Chinese GDP was $200 billion. In 1999 when Hong Kong joined China, it represented a third of all Chinese GDP. One city. It's economic power is very new- so yes it is emerging.

 

Militarily China cannot project power globally though it is acquiring that capability, and diplomatically it has weak influence compared to the USA or even the UK/France. It's a great power, not a superpower. And even then only just.

[Fox Fire]

The EU isn't a federal state it's a loose economic union.

Which by default, is more than just that. It's one giant economy using the same currency.

Know how many EU members are in NATO? (22/28)

 

So yes, it's a lot more than just a loose economic union.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berlin_Plus_agreement

 

China is not fighting for the title of greatest economy. They've secured it. They've already surpassed ours and will continue climbing. You don't have to be a warmonger to be a potential superpower.

 

Militarily China cannot project power globally

Yes it can. Just because it doesn't, doesn't mean it can't. China could cripple our vast navy from anywhere on the planet right here and now.

 

It is a "potential superpower". Meaning it has the capability of becoming a superpower this century.

 

A great power is a sovereign state that is recognized as having the ability to exert its influence on a global scale. Great powers characteristically possess military and economic strength, as well as diplomatic and soft power influence, which may cause middle or small powers to consider the great powers' opinions before taking actions of their own. International relations theorists have posited that great power status can be characterized into power capabilities, spatial aspects, and status dimensions. Sometimes the status of great powers is formally recognized in conferences such as the Congress of Vienna^[1][4][5] or an international structure such as the United Nations Security Council.^[1][2][6] At the same time the status of great powers can be informally recognized in a forum such as the G7/G8.^{[7][8][9][10]}

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_power

 

The term 'Potential superpowers' has been applied by scholars and other qualified commentators to the possibility of several states achieving superpower status in the 21st century. Due to their large markets, growing military strength, economic potential and influence in international affairs; China,^[46][47][48] the European Union^[49][50] and India^[51][52][53] are among the countries (or political entities) most cited as having the potential of achieving superpower status in the 21st century. However it is far from certain that some or all of these countries will ever emerge as superpowers. A number of historians, writers, critics have expressed doubts.^[54][55] Furthermore, some political scientists and other commentators suggest that such countries may simply be emerging powers, as opposed to potential superpowers.^[56] Pertinently, a country would need to achieve great power status first, before they could develop superpower status, and it could be disputed whether some of the countries listed above (e.g. India) are presently great powers.

Besides those mentioned above, a limited number of observers have also discussed the merits of Brazil having the potential to emerge as a superpower, while some academics have argued that a resurgent Russia may have the potential to re-emerge as a superpower.^[57]

The record of such predictions has not been perfect. For example in the 1980s some commentators thought Japan would become a superpower, due to its large GDP and high economic growth at the time.^[58] However, Japan's economy crashed in 1991, creating a long period of economic slump in the country known as The Lost Years. As of August 2012, Japan has not fully recovered from the 1991 crash.^[59]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potential_superpowers

[Trotsky]

Adjust GDP for PPP (Basically, factor in cost of living, power of currencies) ; and the Chinese economy by sheer size is the largest in the world, in fact it surpassed America a few months ago.

 

Despite this, PPP per capita is still 1/4 of the US's. There are things China must accomplish if they are to establish themselves as a superpower. Although they have millions of skilled-workers, China needs to attract foreign talent (Or even Chinese students whom studied abroad) are still needed.

 

   China's huge ass population looks as if it were a blessing at a moment, however this is a double edged sword; and due to the remaining effects of the now repealed one child policy they are looking at a lot of old people. The drain this will have on the economy is not to be scoffed at, think Japan's problem, but X10 for China's population is ten times larger.

 

  China's military is the 3rd strongest. (globalfirepower.com) In general, the more money you have to spend on military, the better it will get; and coupled with China's (huge ass) population there is much potential for it's military.

 

  The only ways I can see it NOT become a superpower is;

If the entire world shut their doors to Chinese trade. (Very unlikely, Western CEOs like to make money, and the world likes goods)

Chinese unrest inside the country (also very unlikely, Chinese people like to make money, and to go from living in dirt floor houses to soaring glass skycrapers...)

Wars (possibly the second most "viable" possibility. Though still very unlikely at that, EVERYONE likes to make money, and any war with China leads to the nuclear option)

Or, death by old people through massive spending on pensions and social services; and lack of workers. (The Communist party repealed the one-child policy, so it's up to the Chinese themselves to save themselves from old persons.)

 

Debate with me.

[Six of Ten]

Is China a superpower? Can it become one? And is EU a superpower yet?

Israel has more global reach than China, why are we even asking this?

[Greatnate]

China needs to exhibit far more soft power before they achieve superpower status. As it stands they are either a secondary power or a great power, neither of which is a superpower.

[Spite]

Using wikipedia as a source...

 

China can't project power globally. It has one aircraft carrier. It has almost no global projection capacity. They have numbers but no logistical support.

 

The fact many EU members are also members of NATO doesn't mean anything. It certainly doesn't make them more federal. You can't try to pretend Romania and the UK have joint foreign policy, or that Poland and Spain share military support, just because they happen to be in the same alliance bloc.

 

China is touted as a potential superpower because people like to be sensationalist. Maybe one day it will be on a par with the USA. Right now it is not even remotely close.

[Franz Von Dietrich]

The fact that China shouldn't even considered Socialist, due to it's State Capitalist policies. But, that's a different matter. China is probably or MOST likely end up like the USSR. When the PRC dissolves, Tibet, Hong Kong, Taiwan (will be safe) will be free. China is just a creator of goods, their military isn't worth mentioning, when they use diplomatic situtations as a coverup for their goals.