LINAWAN VLADIMIR JOPHIL S.

BSLM 3A ASSIGNMENT: WHAT ARE THE SIGNS THAT CHINA IS BECOMING THE NEXT SUPER POWER?

As the sun begins to set on an America whose dollar set the standard and whose capacity for manufacturing was unchallenged, a new superpower is emerging and it is China. A new Pew Research Center (A nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping America and the world.) survey of 38,000 people in 39 countries found the widespread belief that China is well on its way. Overall, a majority or plurality of respondents in only six of the countries surveyed believe the U.S. will remain on top. "Publics around the world believe the global balance of power is shifting," Pew wrote. "China's economic power is on the rise, and many think it will eventually supplant the United States as the world's dominant superpower." In both the United States and China, an increasing number of respondents agree with this thesis. When it comes to pure economics, the survey suggests that some people even think that China is already ahead of the U.S. By almost any statistical measure, the U.S. economy is still top dog. But the perception that China has already built the world's most powerful economy reflects the tremendous gains that have resulted from sustained 10% GDP growth over the past three decades. By making massive trade and investment deals with Latin America and Africa, China had established its presence as a superpower along with the European Union and the United States. China's rise is demonstrated by its ballooning share of trade in its gross domestic product. He believed that China's "consultative style" had allowed it to develop political and economic ties with many countries including those viewed as rogue states by the United States. He stated that the Shanghai Cooperation Organization founded with Russia and the Central Asian countries may eventually be the "NATO of the East" Chinese foreign policy advisor Wang Jisi in 2012 stated that many Chinese officials see China as a first-class power which should be treated as such. China is argued to soon become the world's largest economy and to be making rapid progress in many areas. The United States is seen as a declining superpower as indicated by factors such as poor economic recovery, financial disorder, high deficit and unemployment, and increasing political polarization. It is to say that, while America suffers from a surfeit of too much government spending and borrowingdebtthe Chinese are forging ahead and doing so, ironically, with an economic system that has to be considered western in origin. It is folly to not recognize the economic and societal miracle that has allowed the Chinese to move from a rigid system to one in which its people had a GDP in 1980 of $209.3 billion to about $1.2 trillion by 2000. A decade later, it continues to show growth. Militarily, America currently has 11 aircraft carriers compared to China's one, which happens to be only a training vessel, not fit for actual combat service. A glimpse of the attitudes of China's neighbors shows a similar conclusion. According to the Pew Research Center survey, citizens of Japan, Philippines and South Korea feel more positively toward Americans than toward the Chinese, with territorial disputes obviously playing a role in these countries' attitudes. If China cannot mend unharmonious relations with its neighboring countries in the medium to long term, or worse if it slips into the morass of conflict this won't be conducive to China's peaceful development. This will also constrain the speed of rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

Sources: http://money.cnn.com/2013/07/18/news/economy/china-us-superpower/index.html