In the past decade, much has been said about China’s startling economic growth, with some even claiming that China has become the next global superpower, after the United States. However, for a country to be considered a superpower, it must have significant global influence in five broad categories: economic, military, technology, politics, and culture (“soft power”). Is China’s newfound cultural and economic growth enough to launch them into superpower status?
China has certainly satisfied the economic requirement of becoming a global superpower. China’s net GDP has increased by nearly twelve-fold since 2000, from 1.2 trillion USD to $14.1 trillion USD in 2019, making China’s economy the second largest in the world with a 16.38% share. In fact, some analysts predict that China’s economy will overtake the United States’s in only 20 years. This sharp rise can be attributed to its massive population, which not only fuels the country’s booming service industry but also comprises hundreds of millions of able-bodied workers. It is no surprise, then, that China is by far the world’s largest manufacturer and exporter of goods, with a sizable lead over second-place exporter, the United States.
On paper, China is one of the world’s greatest military powers. With over two million soldiers in the ranks of its armed forces, a number that greatly exceeds that of any other country in the world, China’s military nonetheless falls flat in terms of projecting power globally. Most of its troops are instead concentrated in the ground forces, whose main jobs are to ensure domestic order and protect borders, in stark contrast to an extensive deployment of troops on a global scale. Currently, China also lacks the technology and budget required of such a large-scale military power, lagging heavily behind the United States in terms of war technology such as state of the art military aircraft and other basic support equipment. Even now, China has only had minor territorial disputes concerning the islands in the South China Sea. Though it is likely China’s military will modernize in the decades to come and become an international force to be reckoned with, for now, it is woefully underdeveloped and has little global influence.
In terms of science and technology, China definitely has what it takes to compete at the very top. A rapidly evolving field filled with steady advances have propelled many to consider China as the world leader in technology. Adopting new innovations such as Artificial Intelligence, 5G networks, and semiconductors are a gamble that nevertheless look sure to pay off. Additionally, China hosts nine of the world’s 20 largest tech companies, with household names such as Alibaba and Tencent.
Abroad, China can flex its economic and military might to get its way in diplomatic relations. Ongoing trade wars between the United States and China have clearly impacted the American economy negatively, and it looks as if China will emerge the victor from this “war”. Additionally, China has more diplomatic posts around the world than any other country, linking China with nearly every nation and tightening diplomatic relations. Simply put, China has many tools at its disposal to make them a huge player on the international stage. China’s importance to global health and cooperation should not be understated.
Finally, culture is the last major category. Also known as “soft power,” it is a measure of the indirect and non-military influence of China in countries across the globe. In this regard, China does quite well; partnerships with many underdeveloped African and Latin American countries has boosted China’s presence in the two regions. This method of gaining influence and power through supplying the countries with aid is a strategy that has its fair share of critics; many are concerned that China can use this aid to leverage power over the countries it supports. Nevertheless, these efforts have been enough to cement China as one of the world leaders on soft power and cultural influence, ranking 5th in the Global Soft Power Index for 2020 by Brand Finance, 2nd in the Elcano Global Presence Report for 2018 by the Elcano Royal Institute, and 2nd in the Lowy Institute Asia Power Index of 2020.
Personally, I don’t believe that China is currently a superpower nation. As mentioned previously, China does not have a large enough military presence across the world to be considered one. However, it is extremely likely that a few years down the future, China will eventually emerge as a global superpower capable of rivalling the United States. The question is not if, but when, China can reach these heights.
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This article was very informative! i learned a lot from this article. I never knew how powerful China was in terms of military, science and technology!
That’s a very interesting take. With cross-cultural tensions between America and China with the recent pandemic and anti-Asian sentiments, it seems like these two superpowers are always trying to outcompete each other. This article did a great job at presenting a counterargument to China’s strength. Maybe their power on paper hasn’t actually materialized yet.
I learned a lot from this article! I really liked how you broke down the definition of a “superpower” into five main criteria and analyzed whether China met those criteria. It’s incredible how China has managed to boost its net GDP twelve-fold in the span of approximately twenty years. I also did not know that they have over two million soldiers in their army (in comparison, I think the U.S. has about half of a million on active duty). Great article!
When I first saw the title, I immediately thought the answer to the question would be yes due to China’s GDP and economic profits. However, your opinion of why you believe China isn’t a global superpower is an interesting perspective. Nicely done!
Wow I think that this article was really informative and I didn’t really understand how strong China was as a nation in science, military, and technology until now. I think its crazy how advanced the US and China both are, and I hope that the relations won’t get worse as both nations progress. China has definitely been taking great steps to boost their economic growth and also military power. They really aren’t a nation to play with! Thank you for letting me know about this and keep up the good work.
Very informative article! I liked how you encompass so much in this article–I really learned a lot! As they’re certainly on the path, I don’t doubt that China will become a global superpower in no time. I was surprised to read about the magnitude of China’s military, but that just tells me that there is still so much to learn about this country. Thanks for sharing!
Great article! I agree that a stronger military would make China a superpower in the future. In terms of other areas like technology, I think that China is leading the world in innovation. Because of the stagnating economy, I don’t think that China will surpass America in economical terms. Thanks for sharing!
This article was very informative. I liked how you explored many sides of the issue, such as science, technology, and military power. Good article!
I didn’t know how powerful China’s military was and how advance china was too. I really liked how you gave your final opinion in the last paragraph.
Great article! It was super informative and you gave a good explanation on what superpower nations are. I also like that you added your opinion at the end after providing evidence and reasoning.
Nice article. You talked about many things I didn’t know about. For example, I liked your explanations on the more obscure drivers behind China’s potential superpower status such as diplomatic relationships and “soft power” along with explanations on their military and technological prowess. I’m excited to see where China will end up in the future.
文章中对各方面的情况都进行了分析，并且引用了外部研究的结果进行论证。在言语上保持了比较好的平稳性和严谨性。
Amazing article. As we progress through time, China is becoming an extremely powerful country and may even be considered a global superpower nation today. I really liked how you touched on many aspects such as science, and technology, and showed how China is quickly becoming a world power.
This article was so interesting I nver knew about what made a country a global superpower, and I never even thought of China as one! I learned a lot from this article.
Fantastic article! I didn’t realize how strong China really was until I read t his article! I liked how you taught us about how it fared in many other topics like the economy, science, military, and technology.
That’s a very interesting article and opinion. With all of the tension between America and China that resulted from both the pandemic and the Asian hate crimes, it seems like the two countries will continuously compete with each other. This article really explained China’s strength and power. Although I don’t think China is equal to America yet in strength, it soon will be.
Nice article. I learned a lot of things about China and how it is a powerful country. For example, I never knew that China was advanced in its economy and military. Nice job and keep it up.
Thanks for sharing! I think the political and economic standing and power both the US and China hold are very imposing. In the context of the tension between America and China, it seems that the two countries will continue their cycle of competition with each other. This article really explained China’s strength and power.
Very interesting! While I don’t agree with all your points, I do agree that in the near future, China could become a global superpower. Personally, I feel that China already has enough soft power and hard power to do so but aren’t willing to commit to it as they don’t gain much from doing so. Overall, your article was a nice read and I learned a lot from your points!
This was a very in-depth and well-written article. I think for the past few decades China has done nothing but grow their economy and global presence. I knew China was a superpower, but I never knew the specifics. I like how you provided statistics that tell us how China is classified as a global superpower.
Wow, this was one of the most detailed and captivating articles I have ever read about China’s economic growth and military power. I personally believe China is currently a superpower nation based on the many achievements it has accomplished such as economic, military strength, and technology. I also respect and had not looked at China’s military achievements from your perspective.
I really learned a lot from this article. I did not understand or aware of how strong China was in terms of science, military, and technology. I only thought that China was a superpower due to its GDP and economic profits. I was amazed to mind that China has over two millions soldiers in the ranks of its armed forces.
This article was really interesting to read due to me already knowing some parts about it. China has shown itself to be a powerful country that has a strong military and a good economy. Their technology is also getting much better. This was a good refresher on the topic for me and even made me learn some new information. Keep it up!
This is a really great article which helps see China as a huge part in the economy and now it has helped many countries thrive due to their exponential growth. China has advanced technology and they incorporate it to improve their economy and thrive.
This is a great article Brendan! I knew before that China was one of the world’s most successful market economies. But I didn’t know how large and influential it was until now. But I could also agree with your opinion at the end that China is not a superpower because of their lack of military presence around the world. Keep up the good work Brendan!
文章中对各方面的情况都进行了分析，并且引用了外部研究的结果进行论证。在言语上保持了比较好的平稳性和严谨性。
Great article! I agree that a stronger military would make China a superpower in the future. In terms of other areas like technology, I think that China is leading the world in innovation. I only thought that China was a superpower due to its GDP and economic profits. Sooner or later, China will become a superpower military that the world will know about.
Until now, I had no idea how powerful China was as a nation in terms of science, military, and technology. Maybe their strength on paper hasn’t yet manifested. China has taken significant measures to accelerate its economic development.
I really liked that someone posted an article about this because this is often a debated topic nowadays. No doubt, China has succeeded economically; after being on the path of limited capitalism set in motion a few decades earlier, it has seen an astronomical rise in its overall GDP. Projects such as the Belt and Road Initiative have expanded China’s influence and global image of expanding wealth and prosperity to smaller nations in hopes of gaining support from them. But we often forget that foreign investment and trade with foreign countries has facilitated the rapid growth we see today. I really enjoyed how the article was structured and all of your claims but in my opinion, I feel like China has to make unwilling changes if it wants to compete with the United States on all aspects. “Economics, politics, and personalities are often inseparable.” – Charles Edison
This article taught me a lot! I liked how you broke down the concept of a “superpower” into five key requirements and looked at whether China met them. It’s amazing how China has increased its net GDP by a factor of twelve in just over two decades. I was also unaware that their army consists of over two million troops. This is an excellent post!