Emerging Powers - Chinese Sources of Power

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China - Economic, Political and Military

China's economic, military and political strengths and weaknesses could help it to become a global superpower or could inhibit its progress.

Between 2012 and 2017, China’s economic growth lifted 68.53 million people out of poverty. That’s a drop in poverty rate from 10.2% to 3.4% in 5 years.
China has the 2nd-largest economy in the world, but the USA accounted for 22.4% of global GDP in 2015 (vs China's 13.4%).
China's population of over 1.4 billion people, means that its GDP is spread over lots more people than the USA. Its GDP per capita is only 10% of the USA's GDP per capita.
Inequality in China has also increased in recent years. In 2012, it seemed to be 0.474, but some economists have argued it's higher and the data provided by the government is unreliable.

China was a Communist country ruled by Chairman Mao from the 1930s.
It has moved away from its historically communist ideology but is still run by an authoritarian, one-party government. They have more capitalist and competitive markets now.
Following the open-door policy of 1978 the country has become more globalized and has allowed more global TNCs into the country. But state-supported companies and industries still have lots of power.

In the 2018 Global Fire Power review, China was ranked 3rd behind the USA and Russia.
China has the world’s largest army when looking at soldiers however its military does not have global reach.
According to the Global Fire Power review, China has a total of 3,035 aircraft compared to 13,363 for the USA.
- Its navy is still relatively weak with only 1 aircraft carrier currently. The USA has 20.
A blue water navy describes a navy with global reach.
- In the early 21st century China has concentrated on growing its navy to become a ‘blue water navy’. Some people think it can now claim that title.

China's cultural, demographic and environmental characteristics may help it to surpass the USA's economic strength.

China doesn't have many global consumer brands.
‘Western’ culture is largely American and China has limited elements of its culture that it exports to other countries.
- The only exception would be the popularity of Chinese food in Western countries.
It remains to be seen whether or not this will change if China’s government relaxes the censorship of their population.

China’s huge population (1.4 billion) has been a key factor in its rise to superpower status.
With such a large population, it has been able to offer global TNCs low wage costs and hence become the ‘workshop of the world’.
Its population is ageing rapidly without a growing younger population to support them.
- The fertility rate in China is now 1.57 births per woman- significantly below replacement level.
How it will deal with the impacts of its ageing population will determine its superpower status.

China is the world’s largest CO₂ emitter.
China signed up to the Paris agreement in 2015 but their carbon emissions rose by 4% in the first half of 2018.
Within China, severe pollution problems have been a major issue for the country in recent years.
China still burns a lot of coal that is a dirty non-renewable energy source.
The pollution was so severe in 2016 that schools were forced to have their PE lessons inside rather than exposing children to the fumes.