Unit 2: Lesson 3

Whether the world likes it or agrees with the fact, China has a major role on the world stage.

A recent survey conducted by the Gallup and TNS Emnid in 2006 focused on the “World Powers in the 21st Century” found that 70% of Chinese respondents felt China would a world power by 2020. Forty-four percent of the respondents feel China is already a world power.

Of the total respondents from Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States, 45% feel China has already achieved world power status. The surveys also showed the most important characteristics of a world power are considered “economic power” and “potential for growth”. This easily describes China.

A third of both the US and Chinese respondents listed “military power” as a key ingredient of the world power mix. The two countries have recently “connected” so to speak with a military hotline reminiscent of the Cold War.

“The Chinese military is developing impressive capabilities. We are watching carefully,” Admiral Timothy Keating, Commander of the US forces in the Pacific was quoted in the article “US Hopes for Transparency with China’s Military”.

Keating was recently “escorted” around China by China’s top military officials. This allowed Keating to meet with Chinese generals

As discussed in the article, “China’s ‘Peaceful Rise’ to Great-Power Status”, China has achieved amazing economic numbers since the Open Door Policy. Its annual GDP has average 9.4% since 1978. This remarkable economic growth has also developed a huge gap between the rich and the poor.

“Despite widespread fears about China’s growing economic clout and political stature, Beijing remains committed to a ‘peaceful rise’; brining its people out of poverty by embracing economic globalization and improving relations with the rest of the world”, summarizes author Zheng Bijian.

I personally have mixed feeling with whether China deserves world power status. Although they are a formidable economic power outside of China, internally the divide has the making of civil unrest. This combined with environmental and human rights issues need to be politically addressed. China needs to fix the internal problems before their focus can turn to the bigger stage and earn then the title of world power.