china viewed as super power

• Theme 1: For - economic power

  • since market reforms of deng xiaoping in 1978, in 2015 - IMF ranked china as number one economic super power - china produced 17% of world GDP
  • china's economy overtaken US by purchasing power and due to overtake in absolute terms by 2030
  • Belt and road project and chinas use of economic ifnluence -> this shows the power shift and growth in chinas stanace over the US due to the rapid growth of chinas economy in the last decades
  • annual growth rates for china have been 8-10% a year for almost 30 years - twice the level for western economies
  • europe dependent on china's economy, france and german economy - > realists would aruge that there is a clear shift in power due to immediate economc growth and there is tension that the US reamins the sole superpower in a unipolar world
• Theme 1: Against -

  • chinas economic rise faces problems which destroy its stance as a global superpower
  • people republic of china's economic strength is far smaller and poorer than Us
  • china's average income (GDP) is $4,813 and Americas is $54,132 (2021)
  • tensions between free market economic system and the marxist communist political system
  • It has a denographic problem. More and more chinese are getting older, with fears that this will slow down its progress
  • Also recently the US has put major restrictions on the sales of high-end semi conductor chips - aimed at slowing down its tech sector
  • china's large population (1 billion) is the reason for it overtaking USA economy
• Theme 2: For - global influence

  • china has been strengthening its political and economic links with countries such as australia and those in central africa, parts of the middle east and latin america to gain access to natural resources as well as build strong ties -> now has 80% of rare earths minerals
  • china recently brokered peace deal between saudi arabia and iran - in beijing
  • grown more assertive globally through its wolf-warrior diplomacy
  • openly challenges the US economic system
  • uses trade and economic might to silence critics or harm them if they question it e.g. australia over covid
• Theme 2: Against

  • china remains a poor country with living standards of only 1/5 of america's
  • china's relative poverty will act as a major constraint on china's capacity to appeal, it's soft power, for several decades
  • china does not behave in an 'imperial' way in africa and largely ignores the politics of the countries, working with any government
• Theme 3: For - military expansion

  
  

  • china has been a nuclear power since 1964 and has the second largest military behind the US
  • has the largest navy in the world
  • according to neo realists, military power has the safest course is to become the hegemon
  • over 2.3 million in active service with additional 1.1 million as reserves
  • china converting its economic might into military might, sign of up coming superpower -> most analysts say that china has the capability to take back taiwan and are waiting for the opportunity
• Theme 3: Against

  • china does not have same military capabilities compared to the US
  • US accounts for 37% of global military spending and spends more than four times what china the world number two spender does
  • US dominates across land, sea, air and space
  • A report done for congress US china economic and security review commission states that we have found that the PLA suffers from potentialy serious weaknesses -> these shortcoming could limit its ability to successfully conduct the information centric, integrated join operations chineses strategsits see as required to fight and win future wars
  • china has not fought in any recent wars and does not have the practical experience the US has
  • US has dozens of military bases in the region, including guam and within japan and south korea