Imagine China was the new leading superpower?

Contributor opinion.

Often China has been criticized for their ruthless approach handling military and social outcomes. But China, taking away some bad communist practices, has also slowly adapted to ‘newer versions’’ of capitalism providing open arms for corporations that happen to benefit an underclass that allows higher production rates and satisfactory results to keep the high Chinese unemployment lower (even though is high). So Shanghai, Beijing and to some degree Hong Kong have thrived and got wealthier with this approach. As a result their military capabilities have also flourished.  

But what would the world look like if China, became the leading world power instead of the U.S.. How would it affect or change global finances (globalization) and trade, politics, and freedom of expression? What would a new leading world power like china offer to the world that the U.S. and other world powers like England could not? How would the Middle East and Europe handle it? Would it be good or bad?

Claude Nougat. 

David Merkel. 

“The US, for all of its problems, is a relatively fair dealer in global affairs, excluding Israel, which is favored by Zionists, both Christian and Jewish.  The US will take positions that do not favor their short-term interests, so long as it favors greater freedom.  Think of Egypt.

China will not soon be the leading world power.  It does not empower its people.   Nations are powerful because they harness the abilities of their people to the maximum.  China inhibits its people, and invests in export industries, whether the world needs the exports or not.

Just as the Soviet Union fell, and Japan fell, so will it be for all centrally planned economies.  China will suffer its own fall, because its central planning will fail.  The Chinese economy is far weaker than it looks, because of overinvestment.  Just as Japan stalled out in the late 80s, so will China now.”

Romy Kerwin. 

This is a difficult question.  I can explain some things but I am no economist so I will let the numbers to someone who is. There are 31 different Chinas because there are 31 provinces as well as several semi-independent ones.  China is huge, much bigger than the US and the problems of development within China is the number one preoccupation of the Chinese leader.

China is already the number 1 country in the world with one billion + people and an economy always on the move. China is not at war as opposed to the USA.  China is not trying to impose their ” democratic ” lifestyle to all the countries in the world.

Today’s China is pacifist even though there are Maritime disputes, which have been left to the ” next generation ” to solve. China is patient so there will not be impulsive moves towards peace or war as seen with George W. Bush and the war in Iraq.

I was recently in Beijing and was amazed by this beautiful, orderly city. Subways were glistening with wonderful colours, always in time and running through the city.  There were many Western luxury shops, such as Prada. Louis Vuitton, Channel, etc…

There were traffic jams with equally luxurious cars on the roads.  On the whole, even though, there are millions of people in the capital, there was a general feeling of peacefulness.  Many gardens and parks were free of people and I sat by ponds and small lakes with weeping willows and felt a sort of peace that I had never felt before.

I was also aware that nobody would come out of the bushes to rape or kill me. There were ducks and swans that glided silently on the water amidst Autumn fallen leaves and I felt that everything was right with the world.

There were no Mc Donalds, starbucks or anything that would break the silence and calm of the moment.

Later, in December, I went back to skate on these same ponds, alone, happy, free. The crowds in the subway were orderly, quiet and moving to their next destinations with women or men in bright uniforms giving directions.  I never felt lost.  There were no graffitis and people seemed happy.

This was so different from the daily scenes in the United States.  Another thing that struck me is that all young people had knowledge of English and wanted to talk to me, sharing their experiences of how they learned English. All the young people were elegantly dressed.  There was no crazy fashion, blue, red or orange hair in worn out jeans.

There was definitely a spirit of elegance and harmony. I have asked myself this question : if I had to choose about living in China vs living in America, what would I choose.  The answer is definitely China, especially Beijing or Nanjing.

I met a young couple in Toronto from China lately, The mother and the baby went to China to visit relatives.  She had just returned from Nanjing and she wanted to go back.  She said that life is cheaper in China and that many women had access to spa treatments and clothes that they could afford.  She sported a new nice hairstyle.

In China, politics are well known and do not change for ten years.  People do not vote.  There is no corruption about the electoral system, no frenzy about politics.  We never see politicians in the news, except when the son of the Prime Minister runs his Lamborghini into a tree.

I am sure that there is some form of corruption with consumption at the top but, in a way, it trickles down. The US has lost its Middle Class and in China, it is the opposite, a Middle Class is being created every day.  Universities are free and the teaching is excellent. I was offered a job at Peking University and had the opportunity to visit classrooms, to sit in for lectures and observe freely the lives of the student body.

There are no campus rapes in China because the police areeverywhere to maintain order even though they act more like friends than police officers.  They are there to protect the students and help with directions. Contrary to what we believe, I have not seen any repression or violence by the authorities.  Tiannamen square was a decade ago.

It is now a huge boulevard with flowers everywhere and the many cultural aspects of Beijing.

The Chinese economy is already leading the world.  Japan is counting on its Abenomics to revitalize the country.  Maybe it will work , maybe not but in any case Japan is no longer the number 2 economy in the world.

This is like a travel journal, not a clear dissertation on China.  The people who prepared my food in the small eateries I visited became very friendly and always remembered what I liked to eat and how. There was NO obesity !  I knew that I was not in the US !

Twice a week, I have enjoyed international shows at a ridiculously low price in the magnificent Centre for the performing Arts. If China were to lead the world, there would be more patience, perhaps less exploitation of people.  China is in Africa and even though they import their own workers, they also invest in infrastructures and educate Africans about how to run the new industries.

Is China perfect ? probably no, definitely no but I liked the lifestyle, seeing old men in their pajamas playing majong with their neighbours on the streets, watching the street cleaners and their hand made brooms.  It was a different life, slower, comfortable.

As I said, not all provinces are equal and there are 31 of them.  They are as different as the States in the US.  There are 31 different Chinas.  The only thing they all have in common is their incredible natural beauty as depicted in many Chinese Art objects, murals, temples and homes. The beauty is real.”

Catherine Haig.

“My late parents used to fret about “seeing 100 million Chinese soldiers marching down American streets to take us over” but that never happened. China is a communist country, they only allow 1 child per family to be born. The other children are aborted or given to other people and if you are a female forget about it; your life is over in China.

So answering your question would the world be better with them in the lead – NO. The world would fight them for power and it would create another World War and we might all go boom in the aftermath.

Whatever China has learned about survival it’s learned from us in the WEST so giving them credit for any of the issues you cited is nil. China would take capitalism or any other political theory and twist it to suit themselves and by “themselves” I mean the ruling class in China.

“It’s a question I’ve pondered and have actually discussed with others from time to time.  I believe it is a question that goes beyond hypothetical to reality unless the current path of the world significantly changes and does so soon, This question becoming reality is not “if” but “when”.

IMO “sooner rather than later”.  The long-term travails of mankind I believe will be determined by the outcome of this single question – great question!”

Jaime Ortega Simo. (Editor)

Out of all the countries that could potentially overtake the U.S. as the leading super power, China would not be my favorite candidate!

Just alike other civilizations in History that took over other civilizations, China would be likely to give status to their own population, and possibly tyrannize other nations by providing less rights.

China does not dwell on a democratic structure, it dwells on a dual marble cake system. A division between elitism to protect the communist principle of government, and at the bottom layer allow the lower class to foment a capitalist mindset, but without any premise of democracy.

There is no conclusive evidence to believe China would treat the rest of the world humanly different,than how they treat their own population inside rural areas and small villages where growth is notoriously slow.

Never mind religious rights, you can just take a look at how they treat Uyghurs, in North Western China. And how they’re prosecuting Christian evangelist even in larger cities. Lets not forget activist like Ai Wei Wei, who oppose the government corruption and are pro-civil rights.

Alike India, China is already working inside Eastern Africa, and exploiting countries like Ethiopia by taking over agriculture and control natural resources to be manufactured home. But China is not NATO, WTO, UN… friendly — And if they keep increasing their military capabilities, its possible China would violate human rights and threats without abstaining to the consequences and sanctions imposed. And I doubt countries can bully, a new superpower.

If United States did not protect Japan, Korea and Taiwan, I’m sure China would take ‘strategic advantage’ and take over those countries to secure their interests and expand it, just as you would predict in any previous young emerging civilization in history.

Saudi Arabia and Israel, would be in geographical problems because of their western alliances with Europe and the U.S..

Russia and Iran, would be a tricky card for China, because as much as they like to ‘unitely reject’ the U.S. as the leading superpower, interest in oil reserves and geographical landmarks in the Middle East would amid and escalate into something bigger.

In my opinion, Russia and Iran, are naive to the consequences of their political hypocrisy. At one point it would turn against their own interest.

The point is, China will not be anything like the U.S., the world will be much more convulsive and conflictive.