China, the next Superpower

Is China a superpower? I had a rather heated debate a couple nights ago about whether China was or was not one. It is hard to argue not they are not one, just off of their economic strength alone. There are other factors that contribute to a country being deemed a superpower, however. According to Lyman Miller, the four basic components of how a superpower is measured are as followed: military, political, economic, and cultural. As the world emerged from World War II, two countries emerged as great superpowers, the United States (U.S.) and the Soviet Union. And so, the Cold War began. After the fall of the Soviet Union, the U.S. was the lone superpower and has been ever since, but that time may be up.

The unprecedented growth of China has launched a furious debate as to whether China can become to second great superpower. Keep in mind that China is the largest holder of U.S. debt with a number that is close to reaching $1 trillion, just built their first stealth aircraft, and has

“successfully developed, tested and deployed the world’s first weapons system capable of  targeting a moving carrier strike group from long-range, land-based, mobile launchers,”

according to Andrew Erickson, a professor at the U.S. Naval War College.” Such a system has been deemed a “game changer” that has already affected U.S. strategy in the Pacific.

Add in the fact that China is the world’s second largest economy, has the world’s largest workforce, and is a crucial ally to North Korea, a country poised to be an international issue, and it seems that while China is as of now only a regional power, that it is poised to be a superpower soon.

Here’s to hoping that the U.S. is paying attention, because China is coming…and they are not going to stop.