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China: Emerging superpower

Article · June 2019

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 China: Emerging superpower

Emmanuel Solomon John

June 2019.
Introduction
China as a nation has a fascinating and complex history which was shaped by its involvement
in peaceful act and also warlike act. Like some western countries, china has experienced a
period of peace, war and successful trade with its neighboring countries. Its economic growth
and military expansion have created tension within western countries and has been included in
list of countries with major military power because of the number of nuclear weapons it
possessed. Xi Jinping (Chinese president) contributed to the establishment of a two nations
group of great power politics within 2008 to 2009 during the global financial crises using it
influence at international arena in which only china and USA is the only member of the group
known as G2 (Elizabeth & Adam, 2009).

The argument made by Xi Jinping in 2018, where he promoted Chinese solution suggesting
that authoritarian one-party politics and liberal economic system are more effective and
productive that the globally accepted or promoted liberal democracies and market economic
(Zheping Huang, 2018).

China expanding its position in global platform might cause more burden on its nation even
though it has a deep pocket because it tends to increase it cost of maintenance of large military,
leading diplomatic missions and even providing aids to foreign nations making itself a great
competitor of USA position at the international level. China has become a regional great power
but still far from the position of becoming a global super power based on the definition of
superpower by Alice Lyman Miller which he define as “a country that has the capacity to
project dominating power and influence anywhere in the world and sometimes, in more than
one region of the global at a time, and so may plausibly attain the status of global hegemon”
(Alice Miller, 2005).

A research conducted by Jinghan Zeng and Shaun Breslin in 2016 should that most Chinese
scholars consider china to have already achieved the status of a superpower while all Chinese
citizens has the idea of china as a great power (JINGHAN & SHAUN, 2016)
What kind of superpower that China wants to become?

The idea of superpower was established in 20th century as a result of the involvement of nuclear
weapons technology in countries security. However, in becoming a superpower a mention
needs the integrate more of a traditional approach which involves the capacity of maintaining
a sufficient diplomatic, military and economic resources that can reshape or set an international
order or world order thereby, making themselves a major actor among other world actors.

However, John J. Mearsheimer argues “that china will end up in a conflict with the United
states if it tries to maximize its share of world power” of which Kenneth Waltz counted argues
that China will not divert from it tradition of defensive realism as a superpower meaning that
it just involving itself to gain enough power to protect it security and maintain a solid defensive
stance within it territories and interest from the pressure imposed by the United states and its
surrounding neighbors.

China international strategy and foreign policy was established on its pre-existing thought
about civilization and economic soft power in which China believes civilization started in
China which set the foundation of China exceptionalism unlike the United states and EU which
expending control over their neighbors using aggressively approach. Since the Chinese empire
was built on the foundation idea of civilization and commercial pull and for decades remain in
that direction, it can be arguable that China approach when it becomes a superpower country
in future will be totally different from United States today strategy since China tend to be more
concern on economic growth and national interest and not ready to carry burdens that will
affect it economic growth as it has shown through it actions in the Afghanistan crisis in which
it spend millions of dollar on mining investment during the crisis while other actors and USA
were busy combating the insurgency.

Does china have what it takes to become a superpower nation?

China overtaking Japan to beome the largest economy in Asia and now the second largest
economy in the world lad the foundation of China becoming an economic superpower country.
The establishment of G2 which include just the USA and China was created because of the
potential role played by China as the fasters growing economy in the world. For some decades
China has been an isolated impoverished country which has not transformed itself to a major
international actor. To it citizen the communist country has become a superpower while to
other countries china is just a great power country like Germany and other countries. China on
the other hand has all it takes to develop into a superpower country as it has shown in it
economy growth, however, NBS report in 2012 shows that almost half of China total
population lives in rural areas and of which majority of them don’t have access to water,
healthcare or high class education (Cesar Chelala, 2013).

The only measures which stand to prevent it development into a superpower country is it high
rate of ageing society which can have a negative impact on it economy growth (Charlie
Campbell, 2019). However, the communist country has reshaped world order and almost to
some degree replacing some of the international agencies or body that was created by USA
along with it strong partner the EU. AIIB (Asian infrastructure investment bank) which was
founded by the Chinese government seeks to replace the world bank along with other
international organisations like IMF, ADB judging by it mode of operation and aims even
though the Chinese authority said the AIIB was not introduce to replace those international
organisation but to work together. BRICS and it bank which was engined by China to some
extend limited the power and influence of world bank and other international body on BRICS
member states since BRICS decides on the terms of trade within it member states and its
members account for almost half of the world population and fast growing economy states
along with almost half of the world GDP.

China has built and increase it voting power in IMF to 7.9 as of 2010 making it a prominent
actor when it comes to issues address in IMF and it has become a major contributor to IMF.
However, Xi Jinping political strategy has brough china to the light unlike it pervious leaders
that believes on the ideology of hiding your strength, bide your time and not bring it out before
the entire world. Xi Jinping in a speech said that world should recognised China position as a
great country and treat it as such. However, Xi Jinping meeting with Obama in 2010 few days
to the G-7 meeting of which China was not invited to can be judge as a means of reminding
the USA of China position in the world as the highest exporters and faster growing economy
in the world.

A comment from Todd Stern about China been the only country that USA cooperate more with,
shows how ready China is to take up the position of a superpower country since it position and
role has not been tempered with by the current superpower country (USA). China to some
extend has defended it position in international politics and a good example of that was the
invitation it extended to syrian for the aim of discussing the peace initation process and it also
mediate on the settlement of disput between the Taliban and Afghanistan government.
China belonging to the elite recognised club in UN shows it strength and for some years now
it has act as a superpower critic towards USA for using military intervention on issues where
peaceful method of diplomacy can acchieve a vital result of which an example was the Iraq
war, China has been a major critic of that war even though the USA went ahead using military
intervention thereby neglecting other major actors.

Conclusion
China has shown it interest towards becoming a major actor in global politics and has reshaped
world order that was set by current superpower even thought it mainly interested in becoming
an economy superpower nation. However, China new military power has not been put to test
for years and the recent growing pressure within south China sea has question the strength of
China military power of which Xi Jinping during his speech indicate that China won’t want to
go on a war with any country and that it military power is just to defend the territory of China
and as such should not be taken for greented.

As the dominate actor in Asia, the communist country has what it takes to emerge as a
superpower country. It has the largest and fastest growing economy amoung Asia countries
and it also included among the strongest military power countries in Asia. And it proposer of
AIIB shows its dominent position within its region making it a regional superpower country
and a greatpower country at the global level.

However, China can only become an economy superpower if it economy continue experiencing
economy growth and as a major economy actor the communist country will secure itself a seat
among the elite club in international politics but won’t become a military superpower or
complete superpower country like the USA because it China foreign policy for decades has
been built upon soft power unlike the United state that used both soft and hard power in settling
international issues.
 Reference

Elizabeth C & Adam S, 2009. The G-2 Mirage: Why the United states and china are not
ready to upgrade ties.

Zheping Huang, 2018. Quartz: Xi Jiping says China’s authoritarian system can be a model
for the world.

Alice Lyman Miller, 2005. China an emerging superpower. Standford journal of international
relations, 6(1).

JINGHAN ZENG, SHAUN BRESLIN, 2016. China's ‘new type of Great Power relations’: a
G2 with Chinese characteristics?, International Affairs, Volume 92, Issue 4, July 2016,
Pages 773–794.

Cesar Chelala, 2013. The Japantimes: The challenges of health care for rural Chinese.

Charlie Campbell, 2019. TIME: China’s aging population is a major threat to its future.

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